The
New South Wales Government has announced that James
Packer's proposal to build a second casino in Sydney
has moved to stage 2 of consideration.

Seven
weeks after the Government received an unsolicited
proposal from James Packer to build a six-star hotel
with high roller gaming rooms at Barangaroo, the heads
of the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Treasury
have now given the go ahead for Crown to develop a
more detailed plan.

The
Premier Barry O'Farrell says the Government will not
allow poker machines in the new development, and he
has stressed it is only passed the first hurdle in
a three-stage process.

"At
the end of each stage the Government has the option
of either giving the project the green light to proceed
or a red light and it simply stops there," he
said.

The
Opposition supports the proposal on the grounds it
will not have poker machines.

Its
construction means Sydney will become the only state
capital with two casinos - it already has Star City.

The
Premier says any new casino will not be allowed to
start operation until 2019 because of an exclusivity
arrangement with Star Casino.

But
if the project is given the go ahead, laws will have
to be changed to allow a second casino licence in
Sydney.

The
Melbourne Storm is raking it in, with an extra $1.5
million in with Crown Limited inking as major sponsor
for a third year running, while rugby league in Victoria
could also benefit significantly.

Thursday's
renewal of Crown's only team sponsorship is believed
to be valued at $1 million, give or take a few dollars.

The
funds boost joins the $500,000 Australian Rugby League
Commission chairman John Grant confirmed on Monday
would be delivered to all clubs before October 31.

With
a back-of-jersey sponsorship still to be sold before
the finals, Storm might well collect another payday.

Club
chief exec Ron Gauci advised the funds would be used
to help expand the code in Victoria, a cause boosted
last month with the debut of born-and-bred local Mahe
Fonua.

Storm
officials aim to fund youth teams down to under-16s
and spend up to keep Melbourne "ahead of the
pack" with cutting-edge, football-specific technology.

"We'll
continue to invest in the organisation. We'll invest
both across the football department and administration,"
Gauci said.

"We
want to continue being best practice and continue
being ahead of the game. We'll invest in football
operations and pathway development.

"We
want to extend the Storm brand beyond the under-18s
and we've put in a proposal to the Australian Rugby
League Commission to facilitate the growth of the
game in Victoria and now have the funds to help make
that happen.

"For
us, any investment needs to have a long-term benefit."

The
push from the Government-backed Victorian Major Events
Company to secure more State of Origin clashes in
Melbourne could reap even more cash for local rugby
league.

Plans
are in place to establish a youth academy, with only
the arrival of sufficient funding needed to make it
happen.

Great
to see Crown's casino king James Packer sharing the
love and funds around to worthy causes.

It's
understood that Sydney's South Sydney Rabbitohs management
including king bunny, Russell Crowe, are taking an
interest in the way The Storm and Crown do things,
as you might expect with Rabbitohs also having a sponsorship
deal with gaming - entertainment firm - The Star.

Sydney NRL team also has casino deal...

The
South Sydney Rabbitohs are continuing to enjoy their
sponsorship deal with The Star (formally known as
Star City Casino).

NRL
top brass has said rugby league has benefitted from
its association with betting agencies because it allows
better access to information about irregular plunges.

As
the Australian and globally economy continue to go
through tough times its going to be interesting to
see if more NRL teams ink deals with Australian casino
or gaming firms. I for would would bet yes.

And
what's to become of the Barangaroo 6 star hotel and
casino development in Sydney? Could they also become
a sponsor of an NRL team? With James Packer in the
think of the action one would think so. Keep watching
this space.

Media Release...

Exclusive
Deal For 6 Star Hotel...

Last
week's announcement by Lend Lease and Crown, that
they had signed an exclusive agreement to develop
a six star hotel at Barangaroo South, has attracted
wide ranging media coverage and commentary. Below
is a summary of the media releases and media coverage
to date.

Following
the announcement, the Authority confirmed it will
continue to work with Lend Lease, and now their exclusive
rights partner Crown, to negotiate a new location
for the hotel in Barangaroo South and oversee the
appropriate planning applications that must be approved
before any concept moves ahead.

Acting
Premier Andrew Stoner last week said the development
of such a hotel would represent a significant investment
in NSW tourism infrastructure, and todays agreement
is a vote of confidence in the NSW economy.

It
is, of course, subject to all the necessary planning
and regulatory approvals but Lend Lease already has
an existing permit to build a hotel in Barangaroo
South and are negotiating with the Barangaroo Delivery
Authority to relocate that onshore, he said.

The
creation of a hotel of this stature would deliver
new jobs in construction, off-site manufacturing and
the tourism industry, along with hundreds of millions
of dollars for the State economy each year.

Lend
Lease Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director,
Steve McCann, said that Lend Lease and Crown would
now work towards achieving the necessary development
approvals from the NSW Government for the hotel and
jointly develop the concept plan for the hotel. Lend
Lease is currently in negotiations with the NSW Government
to finalise the hotel location.

Barangaroo
South is a major urban regeneration project that provides
a unique opportunity to create a world class commercial,
residential, entertainment and mixed use destination
on Sydney Harbour. A key part of Lend Leases
vision for Barangaroo South is to have a high quality
international hotel, said Mr McCann.

In
big news today, James Packers Crown Limited
(ASX: CWN) has struck a deal to build a $1 billion
hotel development at Barangaroo, on Sydneys
foreshore. Crown signed an agreement with the developer,
Lend Lease Limited (ASX: LLC) earlier today, but said
it will only go ahead if Crown gains approval to including
VIP gambling facilities (in other words  a casino).
Just yesterday, Crown announced that it was spending
up to $568m to build a six star hotel at its Burswood
casino in Perth.

Work on Fijis first ever Casino to begin...

Work
on Fijis first casino will begin this month
as investors will meet to give contracts to local
companies in Denarau this week.

One
Hundred Sands  the company behind the project
has managed to raise $400million for construction.

However
the initial projections for phase one of the project
which will see the construction of a convention center,
casino and resort is $290m.

Managing
Director Larry Claunch says overseas investors are
often given misconceptions about Fijis investment
potential by local private sectors.

There
has been a lot of criticism if we could raise the
money in a timely fashion  we have, criticism
and comments if we can finish on time  we will
 its going to be probably a fastest development
anybody has ever seen and it going to be fun to watch.

Claunch
says the current government played a vital role for
this investment.

I
didnt come to Fiji with a though of developing
a casino or anything for that matter  I really
just came here to eat fresh fish  but after
seeing the vision of this government I knew everything
was possible and I was all in.

Five
hundred locals will be employed during the construction
and around 600 to 850 will be employed at the casino.

The
new casino is expected to begin operation from September
next year.

Aspers Casino looks forward to end of Games...

Though
its happening right on the doorstep of his companys
flagship casino, Richard Noble is looking forward
to when the 2012 London ­Olympic Games finish.

The
chief operating officer of Aspers Group  a joint
venture between the Australian Securities Exchange-listed
Crown and the Aspinall family, which operates Aspers
Casino at Westfield Stratford City next to Olympic
Park  says weekly takings and average visitor
numbers are down about 20 per cent in the first week
of the Games.

When
Aspers at Westfield Stratford City, the countrys
largest casino, opened on December 1 last year, Noble
told The Australian Financial Review it was immediately
popular. In our first three days we had 30,000
visitors which was about 100 per cent above our business
case. After that we were averaging 25,000-30,000 visitors
per week. But in the last few months weve seen
the three carparks here at the Westfield get cut down
to one and now it is none, so we have been adversely
affected.

There
have been restrictions placed on visitor numbers to
Westfield Stratford by the London Olympic Games Organising
Committee (LOCOG). These include only Games ticket
holders being allowed access to Westfield between
8.30am and 5pm on Friday and Saturday.

Noble
says this cut down on the ability of regular Aspers
patrons to visit the casino. He said it also affecting
the numbers of people in the local area attracted
to Westfield during the Games, who could have potentially
visited the casino for the first time. LOCOG is also
likely to institute another similar lock-out
later this year due to fears about congestion at the
mall, which is between Olympic Park and public transport
links.

With
the Olympics not providing the boost in business once
hoped, Noble says Aspers will now concentrate its
marketing efforts on the post-Games period. On
the 18th of ­September, after the Olympics and
then the Paralympics are over, we will be having a
huge relaunch.

Noble
says the casino concentrates on a high volume of customers
who spend relatively little. It has a catchment area
of 4.1 million people.

And
that is just in the east and the area around, north
to Luton and east to Southend, he said.

But
whats been surprising and also delightful is
that weve managed to get a lot of visitors from
the west of London as well.

A
change to British gaming laws in 2007 allowed for
the casino to be built without previous restrictions
that meant patrons had to become members. Aspers also
owns casinos in Newcastle, Swansea and Northampton
and is planning to open a new venue in Milton Keynes
in 2003.

Overall,
he says Aspers is pleased about how the Stratford
business has performed given it has already expanded
since its December 2011 opening. It now has 57 gaming
tables, the highest number in Britain, up from 38
when it opened. It has room to accommodate 80 tables.
There are also now 138 electronic gaming terminals,
up from 92. The site will soon feature a bespoke poker
room to go with the sports bar, VIP bar and terrace,
which has been hired out to corporate clients for
the Games.

But
Noble, who is otherwise enjoying the Games, cant
wait until September. Some of our patrons are
not able to get here at the moment but that will change
once all this is over. (The Australian Financial
Review)

Police detain 150 in Macau casino raids amid fears
of new gang war...

HONG
KONG (Reuters) - Police detained more than 150 people
in weekend raids on casinos and hotels in Macau after
a recent spate of killings raised fears of a new gang
war in the world's largest gambling destination.

The
former Portuguese territory was gripped by gang wars
in the late 1990s and the recent murder of three people
in two weeks, thought linked to the gambling industry,
comes just months ahead of the release from jail of
triad boss "Broken Tooth" Wan Kuok-koi,
who wreaked havoc at that time.

About
1,300 people were rounded up on Friday and Saturday
in Macau and 150 of those were taken in for questioning
in the operation codenamed "Thunderbolt".

"This
operation is an annual exercise to maintain public
security. It is a joint exercise undertaken by police
in Guangdong province, Macau and Hong Kong to crack
down and prevent crime in this region," a Macau
police spokeswoman said.

In
Hong Kong, police raided 21 locations on August 2
as part of the joint operation and arrested 130 people
on suspicion of various crimes including money laundering
involving HK$300 million (24.77 million pounds), illegal
gambling and prostitution.

Police
also seized cash, watches and cars worth more than
HK$11 million.

The
Macau raids came just weeks after a Chinese woman
was found murdered in a residential area minutes away
from the cavernous gambling halls of gaming magnate
Sheldon Adelson's Venetian casino.

That
followed the murders of two Chinese nationals at the
five-star Grand Lapa hotel in Macau, a one-hour ferry
ride from Hong Kong, and an attack at the end of June
on a senior figure in Macau's junket industry, which
extends credit to rich gamblers.

By
contrast, only five homicide cases were recorded between
June 2011 and May 2012, according to Macau police
statistics.

Macau,
which like Hong Kong is a special administrative region
of China, has boomed since the 1999 handover from
Portugal, with Las Vegas moguls including Adelson
and Steve Wynn setting up glitzy casino hotels.

That
growth, however, has slowed significantly in the past
three months, forcing junket operators into more aggressive
debt-collecting tactics.

Many
of the smaller junket companies, which collect gambling
debts in exchange for a commission from casino operators,
are struggling to stay in business.

IGT partners with California casino...

American
computerised gaming equipment designer and manufacturer
International Game Technology (IGT) has signed a deal
that will see the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel Center
in California host an online casino application from
its Double Down Interactive subsidiary.

Las
Vegas-based IGT purchased the casual games developer
in January and revealed that the Golden Acorn Casino
is set to utilise its technology in order to offer
casino players free-play gaming experiences.

Golden
Acorn recognises the opportunity to provide gaming
entertainment to its players across various channels,
said Eric Tom, Global Sales Executive Vice-President
for IGT.

This
solution is allowing it to grasp an opportunity to
evolve as the landscape of gaming also changes permitting
it to drive engaging gameplay directly to its casino
guests and fans of the Golden Acorn Casino and Travel
Center brand.

IGT
stated that the revenue sharing partnership will see
Golden Acorn use its own website in order provide
players with a truly convergent gaming experience
that is to include access to a full-casino-style
offering of games in one convenient place.

Offering
the same game titles on the web that we offer inside
our casino gives us the unique opportunity to deliver
fun and engaging casino-style experiences to our players,
said David Baggerly, Marketing Director for Golden
Acorn Casino and Travel Center, which is located 47
miles from downtown San Diego near the Mexican border.

This
is an incredible chance to drive interactive slot
culture to our players while allowing them to stay
connected to our brand.

Guests
at the Golden Acorn will be able to enjoy online social
versions of Texas holdem poker in addition to
some of IGT's top-performing slot titles including
Da Vinci Diamonds and Cleopatra. New games are to
be added automatically while first-time users will
receive one million dollars in virtual chips.

Development agreement for Bally and High 5 Games...

Bally
Technologies has entered into a multi-year agreement
with games developer High 5 Games to publish a substantial
number of new H5G games under the Bally brand for
the worldwide land-based, mobile and online business-to-business
casino gaming markets.

Were
excited to partner with a game creator that has such
a world-class track record of developing high-performing
and engaging game content, said Jean Venneman,
Vice President of Product Management and Licensing
at Bally Technologies. We look forward to leveraging
H5Gs newest game content to help casino operators
across the world drive revenues and delight players.

Ramesh
Srinivasan, Bally's President and Chief Operating
Officer, added, The partnership with H5G reflects
our commitment to delivering best-of-breed, cross-platform
game content to our customers. This promise is reflected
in the more than 25 game studios we have established
across the globe, augmented by relationships with
proven game developers like H5G that enable us to
deliver a diverse array of creative, interactive,
and exciting game content.

We
are delighted to partner with Bally Technologies,
a long-time leader in the casino gaming industry,
said Anthony Singer, Chief Executive Officer of H5G.
With Ballys sophisticated new ALPHA 2
game platform, and a new Bally Interactive division
committed to mobile, online, and social business-to-business
game content, we believe that the sky is the limit
for this next generation of H5G games.

Bwin.party
(BPTY) was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive
Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc in March 2011
to create the worlds largest listed online gaming.
Incorporated and licensed in Gibraltar, the Group
has over 2,700 employees across Europe, India, Israel
and the US. It commands leading market positions in
each of four product: online sports betting, poker,
casino and bingo with some of the worlds biggest
online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker,PartyCasino
and Foxy
Bingo.

A
month ago, we forecasted a downtrend with a target
price at GBp 102. This target was reached and we reiterate
our opinion. In a bearish trend, BPTY continues to
decline.

From
a fundamental viewpoint, the group is in a bad financial
situation. Analysts have recently downgraded their
forecasts for earnings per share. This indicator is
often a precursor of a declining profitability and
a worsening climate of investor confidence. Even if
the company has a lot of cash, it is overvalued :
BPTYs PER for 2012 is 38.9x and 16.3x for 2013
and growth rates are low.

From
a technical viewpoint, prices are in a downward trend.
Moving averages are trending down and put pressure
on the stock, which confirms this downward momentum.
This trend may continue toward the GBp 95 support.
Moreover, the security is testing a pivot point at
GBp 102.6 in weekly data and the significant breakdown
of this level would be a new bearish signal.

Taking
into account fundamental and technical elements, investors
can initiate a short position in BPTY with a first
target price at GBp 95. If the security crosses this
level, the second target price will be the long term
support at GBp 83.4. A return towards GBp 115.5, the
short-term resistance area, will invalidate the bearish
strategy, which justifies a stop loss. (4 Traders)

News

NSW
govt investigates 'floating casino'...

The
NSW government is investigating whether cruise company
P&O operated an illegal floating casino off the
NSW coast.

Hospitality
Minister George Souris on Wednesday said a government
authority was investigating an allegation that passengers
could play blackjack, pontoon, poker and roulette
on a cruise that left Sydney on Friday night.

The
cruise ship also had 40 poker machines onboard and
let passengers charge $5000 on their credit cards
for gambling, News Ltd reported.

"I've
asked the Office of Liquor and Gaming to investigate
whether a casino operation was under way in NSW territorial
waters or whether gambling operations were under way
in commonwealth waters," he told reporters in
Sydney.

"It
may be that NSW jurisdiction was breached, it may
be that the commonwealth jurisdiction was breached.
It may be even that both were breached."

He
said NSW had no jurisdiction beyond 12 nautical miles
from shore.

"Those
are international waters," he said.

"In
international shipping after the 12-nautical-mile
limit it opens boats to gambling but also to duty-free
liquor sales."

James Packer to speak at tourism conference in Canberra...

Billionare
James Packer will be the drawcard for hoteliers, resort
operators and owners attending a tourism conference
in Canberra in late October. Mr Packer will open the
Tourism & Transport Forum's annual "Leadership
2012" conference.

The
gaming tycoon is a major tourism player given his
Crown resorts in Perth and Melbourne attract 25 million
visitors a year...

Melco
Crown Project Gets Red Light on Casino...

Macau
casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. MPEL
+2.32% still doesn't have permission to build a casino
at its latest project, according to a revised government
contract published Wednesday.

The
Macao Studio City project, in which Melco Crown has
a 60% equity interest, is designated for a five-star
hotel and film facilities, indicates the latest government
contract detailing various revisions to the agreement.
But the document doesn't mention any casino facilities
despite the company's earlier statements they hope
to open up to 400 gambling tables at the property.
It's possible the government could give the green-light
on a casino later, but the uncertainty could complicate
the company's efforts to finance the project.

Melco
Crown, backed by Lawrence Ho and James Packerthe
sons of Macau gambling tycoon Stanley Ho and the late
Australian casino-and-media magnate Kerry Packeris
one of six casino license holders in Macau, where
it already runs two casino-resort properties in the
world's largest gambling hub.

A
representative for Melco Crown didn't respond to requests
for comment.

In
June 2011, Melco Crown signed a $360 million deal
to gain control over the Macao Studio City project,
resolving a bitter dispute between the project's earlier
partners that had escalated to the Hong Kong courts,
stalling development for years. New Cotai Holdings
LLC, an arm of U.S. investment firms Oaktree Capital
Management L.P. and Silver Point Capital L.P., retained
its 40% stake in the project.

Earlier
this month Melco Crown announced plans to enter the
burgeoning Philippines market by teaming up with local
property developer Belle Corp. BEL.PH -0.20% to partner
on a casino resort that will cost at least $1 billion
in an area the Philippines hopes will become Manila's
version of the Las Vegas Strip. (The Wall Street Journal)

Virgin
Casino to Release Necker Island Slot Game

Virgin
Casino has announced that it is releasing a new
slot game entitled Necker Island this week.

Necker
Island is a new 5 reel, 50 pay-line slot game that
is being developed by Genesis Gaming Inc. The game
has a theme based on the private island hideaway owned
by Virgin Casino founder Sir Richard Branson.

The
game also includes an additional row of symbols that
gives players a greater chance of winning. Players
can win free spins and also have the chance to unlock
a free wild game. The game will be released on Virgin
Casinos QuickFire platform.

Warren
Eloff, Virgin Games Head of Products, said We
wanted to create a game exclusively for our Virgin
Games players  something that only we could
offer and that truly summed up being part of the Virgin
community. As such, we thought it would be ideally
fitting to have a game created by Genesis Gaming that
was themed around Sir Richard Bransons luxurious
private island."

Eloff
added As an operator, offering our customers
seamless game play is crucial, and as a Virgin company
maintaining brand integrity is a must. Using Microgamings
QuickFire platform has delivered on both counts -
offering both easy integration and allowing us to
give our players a unique Virgin Games experience.

Steven
Meisrich, CEO for Genesis Gaming Inc, stated "It
was exciting for our team to build a customized and
branded video slot game consistent with the quality
and fun users expect from the Virgin brand. We are
also pleased that Necker Island will be integrated
to the Quickfire platform as we have a successful
partnership already in place and are confident that
it can maintain the optimal experience for Virgin
players.

QuickFire
also released a statement saying Were
delighted that Virgin Games have chosen the Quickfire
platform to host this unique game. Its always
great to be involved in something a bit different,
particularly as the involvement of Genesis Gaming
Inc. has allowed us to work alongside a company with
whom we already have a strong relationship. Were
confident that this exclusive product will please
new and existing players alike.

LONDON,
England - (PRESS RELEASE) - PKR
Casino today launched an exciting new update that
will allow its 4.5m registered users to experience
the thrill of casino gaming with the launch of full
3D versions of multiplayer Blackjack, Caribbean Stud
and Casino Holdem.

Following
on from the recent launch of 3D single player Blackjack
to the casino games suite, new multiplayer 3D Blackjack
allows up to 6 seats per table to be played at any
one time against the dealer. Also released today is
a 3D version of PKRs Caribbean Stud Poker
which has already enjoyed great success in its mini-game
format on the site. The final addition to the 3D games
lobby comes in the shape of 3D Casino Holdem
- a fixed odds game based on the popular poker game
variant which is available in single player mode.

Leon
Walters, PKR Chief Operating Officer said: PKR
has always been about making realistic, immersive
and engaging games that put players at the heart of
the action. Were delighted to be able to launch
three new casino games that do just that, and were
confident that theyll prove to be hugely popular
additions to our suite of games.

PKRs
latest release also includes eleven new male and female
avatar hairstyles, nine new emotes as well as improvements
to customer support with Virtual Agent Anna
now integrated into live person chat, who will be
able to answer any customer questions immediately.

Walters
about the poker software update: We've also
added synchronised tournament breaks with this release
which is just a taste of the new features we're release
in the coming months that are very much focused on
our core poker audience.

JP's
Macau casino joint venture plans to build a massive
$US2.5 billion ($2.3bn) casino resort...the group's
lucky third in the Chinese territory. This will see
them look capitalise on surging gaming revenues in
the red hot part of the world.

Melco
Crown Entertainment yesterday signed off on a $US360
million deal to gain control of the Macau Studio City
project, an "integrated resort project"
on hold since the global financial crisis and in planning
for more than 10 years.

The
firms chief executive, Lawrence Ho, advised the property's
theme and demographic target focus would be differentiated
from the company's existing Macau property assets,
the City of Dreams and the Altira Macau.

Construction
is due to start early next year and it is believed
the partners have no plans for an equity issue to
fund the project.

"We
believe Macau Studio City's existing land grant and
previously completed site work will allow us to significantly
expedite its construction timetable," Ho told
the press yesterday.

It
will be Melco Crown's second project on Macau's Cotai
strip, a vast stretch of reclaimed land situated between
the islands of Taipa and Coloane that land based casino
developers in Macau, such as Ho and Packer, are promoting
as the orient's answer to the Las Vegas strip aka
"Sin City". City of Dreams is in Cotai.

Last
year, Ho said Melco Crown was prepared to build more
casino resort developments in Macau and elsewhere
in Asia. Packer's Crown holds a 33.4% stake in Melco
Crown.

The
Studio City site is one of the last prime land sites
available in Macau for development.

It
is located at the Lotus Bridge immigration point,
making it the virgin resort that tourists encounter
via entering Cotai.

Before
the financial meltdown, Melco Crown had a management
arrangement with Studio City's owners to run the casino
at the site, but elected to take control of the project
after it became troublesome for the owners to properly
fund it within the prior structure.

Melco
Crown is understood to have codenamed the deal Project
Eagle.

The
deal ends 3 long years of delays caused by legal matters
and a range of dramas between the Hong Kong and US
investors.

Studio
City was previously owned by a joint venture between
Hong Kong-listed entertainment company eSun Holdings
and New Cotai Holdings, an entity controlled by funds
managed by US firms Silver Point Capital and Oaktree
Capital Management.

New
Cotai Holdings will hold a 40% stake.

Melco
Crown will pay New Cotai $US100m in 3 instalments
over two years.

Before
the financial crunch, the casino development was to
have included a specially designed 4000-seat arena,
a 2300-seat theatre, Asia's first "Playboy Mansion"
and 4 new classy hotels - a Ritz-Carlton, a W Hotel,
a Marriott and the world's first Tang Hotel.

Media
Man has been speaking to property and gaming experts
about the Packer - Macau developments, with 95% believing
that the latest Packer Macau project with be a "good
to great business and investment".

Friends,
good punting, know your limits and bet with your head,
not over it.

Australian
Gambling And Vice News Update, by Greg Tingle - 28th
April 2011

Australia
continues to be a hotbed for Australian gambling,
casino and vice news, be it political, legal, new
games and innovation, tours, casinos battling it out
for the top entertainment acts, and so it goes on.

Media
Man scours Australia for the hottest and most entertaining
news to be found...

A
double Australian tag team...4...off-duty police officers
are under investigation over a brawl at Adelaide's
famous SkyCity Casino. Just after midnight yesterday,
a bloke came out of a toilet and complained to a guard
a group of men were harassing him. News outlet Channel
7 reported last night the group emerged from the toilet
and approached the man, who is alleged to have told
them: "Leave me alone, I don't want anything
to do with this."
A fight then erupted, in which casino gaming tables
were knocked for six and seven security guards rushed
to the incident. The men were notified Hindley St
police had been called, to which they allegedly replied:
"We are the police." Police are reviewing
security footage, and Superintendent Graham Goodwin
said an investigation was continuing. We wish the
police good luck with the investigation - both sides
of the police.

Snoop
Dogg Enjoys Time In Australian Casinos; Star City
In Sin City Sydney..

With
hip-hop stars Snoop Dogg and Nelly have been enjoying
their time down under in Australia. At an announced
side-show in Sydney's Star City Casino last weekend,
the two famed hip-hop stars shocked the crowd when
an ensemble of acclaimed Supafest co-stars joined
them on stage. Industry luminaries The Game, T-Pain,
Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe and Spliff Star all joined in
the fun. They wowed fans with an hour of freestyle
rapping. The show is already being described as the
biggest hip-hop show in Australian history. Star City
in Sydney is hoping to look after them again, as is
the Tabcorp owned sister casino on the Gold Coast
- Jupiters Hotel and Casino.

Famous
Australian Gambler And Sportsman Brendan Fevola Will
Pay Kids' Charity...

You
know the name, and you know some of his games. AFL,
poker and casino slots. Fev will make a payment to
well known and respected charity Variety. They will
be the beneficiary of ex AFL star Brendan Fevola's
drunken New Year's Eve. The former Carlton and Brisbane
full forward will pay about $2000 to the charity to
avoid charges of obstructing police and public nuisance.
Fevola was arrested after ignoring police instructions
to get off the road in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley
about 4.30am on New Year's Day. The situation degenerated
when he resisted arrest and threatened police, allegedly
saying: "Come on, take your hat and badge off,
I'll smash you." The dual-Coleman medallist had
pleaded guilty to the charges but entered mediation
talks with police this month to have them dropped.
He also wrote a letter of apology to the police involved.
Fevola's lawyer Jim Coburn told Brisbane Magistrates
Court yesterday mediation had been successful and
a commitment has been signed for Fevola to donate
the money. The charity, Variety Queensland, was chosen
by police. Fevola has two weeks to fulfil the mediation
terms. Fevola, who has struggled with gambling and
alcohol issues throughout his career, lost about $1
million through betting and admitted he attempted
suicide at his lowest point. He spent two months in
rehab to deal with mental health and addiction issues
after the altercation with police. The living legend
was sacked by the Brisbane Lions while he was still
in rehab, a move which drew criticism from some quarters,
including the AFL Players' Association. Fevola moved
back to Melbourne after his release from rehab to
be closer to his family, however he is now estranged
from his wife Alex and three daughters. His battle
with gambling is ongoing. He has been removed from
James Packer owned Crown Casino as well as a suburban
pokies venue in recent months. Fevola has not given
up hope of returning to the AFL, playing for VFL side
Casey Scorpions to help rebuild his career. We wish
Fev well with his ongoing journey.

A
Melbourne 26 year-old known as "Grease Trap Man"
and "Ocean's One" after he was rescued from
a ventilation shaft at Crown casino walked out...slipped
away if you will... a free man from court yesterday.
Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard two charges against
Brook Adrian Valencic, 26, had been withdrawn by prosecutors.
Valencic, of Sydenham, faced a charge of criminal
damage to a door at Crown and a second charge of trespass,
over the incident in July last year. It is believed
the crim defence planned to argue he was so drunk
he could remember nothing of the incident and police
concluded they could not prove the charges. Valencic
spent hours trapped in the grease-filled ventilation
shaft and was pulled clear by a search and rescue
crew after staff at the Automatic Cafe heard screaming
when they turned on the ovens. He was covered head
to toe in grease, as was worried his might of been
in line for a cooked alive number ala battered fish
fry. The rescuers had to crawl into the shaft to rescue
Valencic, who was hot and dehydrated, but otherwise
unharmed, yet a touch worried about what was about
to get cooked. At the time of the incident firefighters
thought he entered the steel duct from a stairwell,
crawled about 30m, and then fell vertically through
the vents until he became wedged above the cafe's
grill. Valencic left court without talking to the
press. Crown Casino security and law enforcement agencies
will be watching Crown Casino like hawks as The Logies
is to take place on the 1st May, opened by performing
artist come casino babe Katy Perry.

From
Australia to Vegas To Biloxi, the embattled Aussie
firm is bouncing back with a vengeance.

Aristocrat
Technologies is bringing top-name celebrities to Biloxi
for the annual Southern Gaming Summit. "Tarzan(R)"
and "Mr. Cashman" of Cashman Fever(TM) will
be front and center as Aristocrat unveils its newest
games that will help operators across the South give
their customers the greatest gaming experience every
day. Aristocrat will be in booth #812, where the stunning
new video slot game Tarzan®Lord of the Jungle
will bring a call of the wild to the tradeshow floor.
Tarzan Lord of the Jungle is the newest title in Aristocrat's
award-winning VERVEhd cabinet, where the game's
big screen style action stretches top to bottom. The
game is complete with incredible stereo sound, seven
high-hit frequency bonus features and a four-level
progressive with a jungle-sized top jackpot of $250,000.
Co-starring at the event is every casino player's
best friend, Mr. Cashman, who is now starring
in the new video slot game Cashman Fever. Cashman
Fever brings the fun and excitement that players have
come to expect from Mr. Cashman to a scorching hot
new level. Cashman Fever is a new feature-rich, highly
entertaining gaming experience with four red-hot,
high-frequency Cashman Fever bonus features and an
exclusive Cashman Fever Progressive Link feature that
offers 20 jackpot pools. Aristocrat is riding a wave
of award-winning success, and the company will be
showing off its most recent award-winning products,
including More Hearts and More Chilli,
the opening titles on Aristocrat's all-new and award-winning
game category Mega Pay, which was recently named
one of the Top Ten Slot Floor Products for 2011 in
the fifth annual Casino Enterprise Management Slot
Floor Technology Awards. Aristocrat will also be showing
its all-new game category Win Your Way and its
industry-exclusive Nteractiv LCD Programmable
Buttons, which were both recently named to the list
of Casino Journal's annual "Top 20 Most Innovative
Gaming Technology Awards." Aristocrat will introduce
southern operators to Stuntman Sam, the company's
newest hero who in this thrilling new game attempts
several heart-stopping, death-defying feats to give
players an entertaining gaming experience and a big
win. And "Rock Star of the Art World," Michael
Godard's work will be on display in Monster Boogie,
the hilarious sequel to the instant player favorite
Rockin Olives. Also showing Gazellions
and Fortune Fantasy, where players have a chance
to play four games at once; and the latest entry in
Aristocrat's Reel Tall Tales line, The Headless
Horseman, a triple standalone progressive with
five bonus features. They're not just games, they're
Aristocrat games, and they give the greatest gaming
experience every day.

Return
to the Scene of the Crime; Sin City Sydney Crime Tourism...

Gamblers,
histories and many tourists will love this. From murder
and robbery to gambling and civil unrest, Sydneys
turbulent history will be revealed as we visit crime
scenes from the past and present in this fascinating
walking tour of Circular Quay and The Rocks.
The walk starts from the Justice & Police Museum
and winds its way through the city to finish in The
Rocks. Both planned and spontaneous true crime stories
are looked at in detail on this tour.

No
city in the world can rival Sydney's tolerance for
organised crime - Professor Alfred W McCoy, 1980.
In the second half of the 20th century, Sin City was
in every way a fitting nickname for Sydney. Organised
crime held a grip on the city and corruption was rife,
infiltrating the top levels of politics, law and justice.
Focusing on the 1940s to the 1980s, this exhibition
will examine some of the audacious crimes, fascinating
people and various vice trades  from suburban
SP bookmakers and sly-grog sellers to narcotics dealers
and flashy illegal casinos  that bankrolled
corruption...
Website: HHT

Keith
Bulfin; Casino And Business Criminal Tells His Story
In Undercover Tell All Book...

His
colourful story, described in his autobiographical
novel Undercover, reads like a movie script. Bulfin
says while the novel is fiction, it is based on the
true events of his life. The events may sound fantastical,
he says, but he can prove it all actually happened.
The story starts in the 1990s, when he was running
a mortgage company, and fell out of favor of the law
on a charge of conspiracy to defraud in the valuations
of Lasseters Casino and Dreamworld. My lawyers
said, Youve got no chance, theyll
throw the book at you. I pleaded guilty and
got sent to prison, he says. Bulfin was stabbed
and beaten several times at Port Phillip Prison, and
progressively moved to higher security sections with
tougher criminals at every turn, until he ended up
in a so-called supermax unit. "There are 20 people
in the unit, and youre under surveillance 24/7.
Its one of the worst units in Australia,"
Bulfin says. Bulfin advised he has a good reason for
writing a book about such a dangerous man, someone
who could easily arrange for him to be killed. "I
was sick of psychologists. I thought Ill write
a book, and maybe its therapy," he says.
"Also, by writing a book, Im safer, and
now no-one can threaten me." Bulfin says his
book, which was originally intended to be released
as a true story, is going to be made into a movie
called The Banker. Keith Bulfin will be speaking at
this years Bayside Literary Festival on May
22 from 1pm2.30pm. The event will be held at
the Brighton Savoy, 150 The Esplanade. Cost is $10,
and afternoon tea will be provided.

Aussie
Rock Gods INXS Play Moncton Casino On July 7...

Australian
rock group INXS is going to perform at Casino New
Brunswick's Entertainment Centre in Moncton in July.
The band, performing in support of new album Original
Sin, will start the rock n roller Thursday, July 7
at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Over the span of the
band's 30-year career, INXS has sold more than 30
million albums worldwide. They have scored hits on
four different continents and have received MTV Awards,
World Music Awards, two Grammy nominations, British
Music Awards and Gold, Platinum and Diamond sales
status on their records. They have also performed
over 4,000 live shows for more than 25 million people
in almost 50 countries. First as the Farriss Brothers,
then as INXS, the band is made up of brothers Tim,
Jon and Andrew Farriss, along with Kirk Pengilly and
Garry Gary Beers. Original INXS singer Michael Hutchence
died in 1997 via a dark and adventurous sexual method
and has been replaced at various times by different
singers, notably J.D. Fortune who grew up in Nova
Scotia. Fortune is fronting the band on stage, but
on Original Sin new versions of classic INXS hits
were recorded with various vocalists, including Train's
Pat Monahan, Rob Thomas and Ben Harper. Tickets for
the Moncton INXS show go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.
Casino execs think INXS will boost numbers to the
venue and should see more folks trying their luck
on casino games. Sounds like something to check out.

Punters,
er readers, stay glued to Media
Man for more "can't miss" news on Australian
pokies and gambling wars.

New
poker machine restrictions proposed by Tasmanian independent
Andrew Wilkie will "annihilate" pubs and
clubs in the Hunter, leaving hundreds out of work,
ClubsNSW Newcastle councillor Jon Chin says. Clubs
Australia is launching a $20 million advertising campaign
on Monday in an attempt to prevent the introduction
of mandatory pre-commitment technology for all poker
machines. Banjo, a John "Singo" Singleton
company is behind the campaign. Mandatory pre-commitment
requires pokies users to commit to a spending limit
before they begin gambling. Once they reach that limit
they will be unable to gamble again until the following
day or longer, depending on what restrictions the
player sets for themselves. Chin said the cost of
implementing the new technology in the Hunter region
would surpass $100 million. This figure did not include
the 40% in revenue clubs would experience once the
restrictions were imposed, he said. "This means
Hunter clubs will lose another $100 million, making
it impossible for us to sustain our businesses,"
he said. Australian Hotels Association Hunter sub-branch
vice-president Bruce Woods said there was no evidence
to suggest the restrictions would discourage people
from gambling. "This won't help pathological
gamblers at all but it will lead to a loss of jobs,"
he said. "We support the clubs' campaign against
this, it will affect pubs just as much as clubs".

Online
Gaming Strong Growth In Asia...

Online
gaming industry has grown into a $US3 billion business
that provides a good standard of living to migrant
workers in Asia who play games all day and sometimes,
all night! Virtual currency is all the rage, it sometimes
gets sold to punters abroad for cash. A World Bank
study demonstrates an emerging industry in which firms
seeking to boost their brands' popularity pay low-skilled
workers overseas to become their Facebook fans or
Twitter followers. The study, Knowledge Map of the
Virtual Economy, is the World Bank's first in-depth
look at the impact of online gaming and social media
in the developing world. Vili Lehdonvirta, a co-author
of the report, advised that the bank should not pour
its money into the industry, because he said the deal
making violated some of the game publishers' terms
of service and was cheating. Known in the business
as "gold farming", the game-playing boomed
in the early 2000s with games like World of Warcraft
and has evolved considerably. Labourers in Asia spend
numerous hours each day advancing through levels of
an online game, picking up gold, swords and gems that
enhance a game player's status. Then gaming studios,
which employ the players, sell those virtual goods
to online retailers. Next step, the retailers sell
on those goods to more than 120 million players globally,
many of them in Europe and North America, who don't
want to play the games day and night to gather their
own. The bank's report indicates that online gaming
has a positive impact in Asia because 70% of the industry's
revenue remains in the gaming countries, with most
of that money going to the gaming studios. Compared
with the $US70 billion coffee market...in which only
a tiny fraction of the revenue remains in the bean-growing
countries...the gaming industry had a "much better
development impact", the report states. A report
survey checks out on a group of 26 players and studio
managers that offers a rough, yet rare demographic
look at their lives. Most of the players work out
of studios in China, in Beijing or Changsha, capital
of Hunan province. They earn an average wage of $US2.70
an hour, $US1 more than Beijing's minimum wage for
part-time factory work. "The larger point is
that online gaming is often viewed as exploitation,
Lehdonvirta said. "Certainly it's not a dream
career, but the players are not at sweatshop levels."
The gaming studios keep about 60% of the industry's
$US3 billion in revenue. Readers, would you like to
be a prize gather for the gaming studios on that level
of pay? Better not answer!

Samoan
Casino Proposal Has Social Concerns For Kiwi, Samoan
Locals...

All
these places have land based casinos - Las Vegas,
Monte Carlo, Macau, Melbourne and just maybe soon
- Apia in Samoa. Some business folks have earmarked
it as a future gambling destination, and Kiwi group,
the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, is
advising against it, citing social harms of a casino
will outweigh any economical benefits that the Samoan
government will hope to achieve. In an admission of
the dangers of gambling, the proposed casino in Apia
will attempt to bar locals by only allowing the holders
of foreign passports to gamble. Problem #1... many
locals have duplicate passports, so getting in to
a casino for locals may not be that hard, and don't
even bring up the subject of fake ID. Will the region
get a land based casino? Stay tuned for updates.

Clubs
Australia War On Gillard Labor Government Re Pokie
Laws...

Clubs
Australia has declared "open warfare" on
the Gillard government, preparing a $20 million media
campaign to try to stop laws to limit how much punters
can spend on poker machines. Last year "Tasmanian
Devil" (MM satire) independent MP Andrew Wilkie
backed Labor to form a minority government in return
for a clampdown on the use of poker machines. Now,
the lobby that represents clubs and pubs is wrestling
and punching back, with a media blitz targeting Wilkie
and Prime Minister Julie Gillard. Both Wilkie and
Gillard are in big trouble in the popularity polls,
with Labor set to lose the next federal election,
following their NSW loss, where it was bloody and
crimson mass. Billboards, a website, beer coasters
and more It's war on nationwide. The campaign has
been criticised as misleading for claiming punters
will need a licence to gamble. Clubs Australia executive
director Anthony Ball rejects that. "What we
do know is that everyone who plays a poker machine
will need to register and obtain a card, and then
insert it into a poker machine and set a binding limit.
There needs to be player tracking, because how else
does the machine know what the player is doing? It
will have your private details and your gambling history
on it. Now if that's not a licence, I don't know what
is." Under Wilkie's master plan, gamblers would
have to nominate a dollar figure for how much they
are prepared to lose before they start gambling, a
scheme known as "mandatory pre-commitment".
Wilkie wants the law in place by 2014 and he has the
backing of South Australian independent Senator Nick
'Mr X' (MM satire) Xenophon. Senator Xenophon describes
the Clubs Australia campaign as a "joke".
"This industry is willing to spend $20 million
of tax-break money that they get from community clubs
- effectively taxpayers' monies, indirectly - to peddle
lies in terms of a campaign where they haven't even
seen what the final report will say. Whether it's
$20 million or $200 million, this mob can spend as
much as they like, but they can't spin that they are
causing enormous damage out in the community. There
are 300,000 Australians who either have a severe gambling
problem because of poker machines, or are already
showing the signs of one."

Proposed
Pokie Laws With Cost 10,000's of Aussie Jobs...

Clubs
Australia advise the changes will cost jobs. They
want it to be a voluntary scheme and have rejected
a government request to hold off on the ad war. "It
will cost jobs, for the simple reason that asking
Australians to sign on to this licence to gamble will
mean they'll do something else," Mr Ball said.
"They'll go and gamble online where none of these
controls exist, or they they'll go to the TAB - they
won't do it at the club.Even the proponent of this,
Andrew Wilkie, is saying that this will cost up to
40% of revenue."
It's all hot fodder in Aussie Parliament too. Liberal
Steve Ciobo sits on the joint committee on gambling
reform, which has been hearing arguments pro and con
against a mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "The
committee was charged by the Labor party with the
responsibility to look at a roll-out of pre-commitment,"
he said. "But Coalition members will be putting
in a dissenting report because the evidence is clear
that it's going to cost jobs, it's going to cost investment,
and I'm concerned based on the evidence that it will
make problem gambling potentially worse." The
committee is due to report in the next few weeks.
The states and territories have until the end of May
to decide if they will agree to the Wilkie-led reforms.
If they refuse, the Commonwealth believes it has the
power to introduce overriding legislation to impose
a national scheme. The pokie industry has shown the
willingness to wrestle all the way to the next election,
and perhaps even beyond. It's the lovers VS the haters.
Who will win, and when will the final victor emerge.
Stay tuned.

Sky
City Entertainment Group Stocks Fall From Sky...

Sky
City Entertainment Group, the casino and hotel operator,
fell 0.9% to $3.41 amid media reports that overseas
competitors were looking to hire the 500 staff made
redundant or on leave without pay due to the closure
of the Christchurch Casino. SkyCity owns a 50% stake
in the business.

Casino
Bouncer Thought Disabled Bloke Was Drunk...

A
South Australian man with deasiese cerebral palsy
says he was refused entry to the Adelaide Casino because
the bouncer thought he was drunk. Mark Thiele was
on a big night out with friends when he attempted
to enter the casino, but was refused by a bouncer
aka "gorilla". Thiele says the bouncer mistakenly
thought he was drunk, but the casino is sticking by
its decision. "I had said to the man that I wasn't
a drunk, I was crippled," said Thiele, talking
about his rejection on 7.30 South Australia. "He
had said to me he was convinced I was intoxicated
even though we said that I had only had a few drinks
earlier on in the evening. "So I can't see why
I was singled out and everybody else in my party wasn't.
There was no difference between any of us besides
the obvious. It's a mystery to me really." Last
month, he and his friends had walked to the casino
from the city's Hindley Street entertainment strip
a few blocks away. Thiele has trouble moving his body
and for him, walking distances is a big effort. His
mate Aaron Nettlebeck says the casino bouncer did
not understand. "Walking that sort of distance
does get very, very sweaty over that sort of short
period. It was a bit infuriating that it happened
like that after such a nice evening." Thiele
says he has not had a problem at venues until now.
"For the vast majority it's never been a problem.
Bouncers that I've come into contact with have been
understanding and even let me skip the line a few
times just to put me at ease," he said. "Obviously
it's a stamina thing that I can't walk these long
distances and stand in lines and all of these things."
He says he is considering lodging a complaint with
the commission or under South Australia's liquor laws.The
casino's general manager, David Christian, has offered
an apology of sorts. "It was certainly not our
intention that Mark would have felt discriminated
against and I'm sorry that he does feel that way,"
he said. But he is defending the actions of his staff.
"They believe that they made the right call.
I would believe that with the calibre we have and
the training we put into our security officers, and
the level of management that oversees it, that they
would be right most of the time."

Financial
and emotional aftershocks are still be felt by the
casino sector after a series of earthquakes that rocked
the Asia Pacific - Japan and New Zealand region. Christchurch
Casino workers are feeling disappointed and even depressed
after having failed attempt to get a bigger redundancy
payday.In excess of 500 formally happy and motivated
casino employees were offered redundancy at the central
Christchurch casino last weekend, which was badly
damaged in the February 22 quake and has stayed closed
ever since the act of mother nature. Anyone who wants
to stay at the casino will be paid their holiday pay
as either a weekly amount or in a "lump sum".
Simply put, they will remain as employees of the land
based casino on leave without pay until the the gambling
den opens again. The SFWU (Service and Food Workers'
Union), which reps for 100 plus casino workers, has
a meeting with the casino's managers on Thursday.
SFWU strategic industry boss Len 'Razor' (MM tag)
Richards said workers were sombre but firm in their
desire about securing a more attractive redundancy
package. The union power that be were also asking
for continued pay for employees that choose to stay
on until the casino opens again. However, he advised
management was not prepared to increase the amount
of redundancy pay for staff, but did agree to request
for a government wage subsidy. Due to a private insurance
deal and policy in place, the land based casino has
not relied upon the $1.5 million government subsidy
available for quake-affected businesses. Richards
stated that the union has contacted earthquake recovery
minister Gerry Brownlee to request assistance to help
pay workers who remain employed. SkyCity, half owner
of the famous Christchurch Casino, has projected a
$130 million plus profit this year. It's not known
how much financially the quake cost Christchurch Casino
or SkyCity. Christchurch Casino top sheep er top dog...chief
executive Brett 'Ask Him' (MM satire) Anderson said
about 70% of employees have indicated they will stay
with the company rather than take the offered redundancy.
He said a number of employees are also being offered
jobs offshore. Anderson elaborated "I'm getting
phone calls from Australia looking for our people
and likewise all over New Zealand, and a few of them
have spread their wings. More than a few have gone
over to the Gold Coast. It's a lot warmer, it's a
lot more stable, you can swim in the sea, the pay
rates are better." Anderson said he still does
not know when the casino will reopen.Employees have
a deadline until Monday to decide whether they will
take the redundancy package or stay on. Yep, it's
the money or the box. Workers who have not contacted
the company by showdown at 5pm on Monday will be deemed
to have left their jobs and will be paid out a four-weeks-notice
payment, along with their annual leave entitlements.
Casino workers, did you get that. D Day is approaching.

A
Media Man spokesperson said "In the current global
economy anyone with a decent job should be grateful,
especially in the casino or gaming sector. Well done
to Christchurch Casino management for doing their
utmost to assist in their difficult times. Employers
will always want to ask for more... its in the nature.
Land based casinos generally remain popular around
the world so good staff will always be in demand."

Media
Man and Gambling911 wish all parties well with their
dealings, and hopefully some win - win - wins will
still be possible.

States
Probe Sports Betting Ads...

Aussie
states are uniting to consider a crackdown on an explosion
in advertising of sports betting, Victoria's Gaming
Minister says. Michael O'Brien last night revealed
the betting blitz on sport was being examined by the
Council of Australian Governments. "There is
growing concern at the extent to which is becoming
inseparable from the coverage of major sporting events.
Kids are being exposed to it constantly just by watching
the footy or cricket," he said.AFL chief executive
Andrew Demetriou said the league had expressed its
concerns to stadium managers. Goal posts, boundary
line fences and scoreboards at the MCG and Etihad
Stadium have been plastered with ads from bookmakers.
Demetriou said the alarm was raised during last year's
Brownlow Medal telecast. "There seemed to be
an enormous amount of (gambling) advertising after
each break," he told press. O'Brien said the
AFL, which enjoys lucrative sponsorship arrangements
with gambling giants, could take responsibility through
its media and stadium deals. "It may be that
there's an opportunity for this influence to be exercised
to ensure the promotion of sports betting isn't allowed
to detract from family-friendly objectives of (such)
sports," he said. This week, former Demon Daniel
Ward revealed in the the newspapers his battle with
gambling. "It's always in your face," he
said of the ads. "It's like being a drug addict
and an advert comes on saying, 'The first 50 people
to ring will get a free bag of marijuana'."

Sin
City Sydney babe Kahili Blundell has snatched the
Ralph Australian Swimwear Model of the Year comp.
The Crows Nest bikini super babe bested more than
2000 babes from all over Australia and Kiwi land to
grab the coveted title at Sin Sydney's Star City Casino
on Thurday. "I feel more than special right now,
I'm blown away and so honoured to be given this position,"
Blundell said. "I was expecting him to call another
number and I stood there thinking 27, is that me?
"It's also my boyfriend's birthday, but I realised
it was me and I was shivering." The 21-year-old
Jennifer Hawkins lookalike works as a personal assistant
and dabbles in makeup artistry in her spare time.
Blundell says modelling has been tough, slogging it
out for 3 years. "Since November I've been training
every week for this, thinking about it every night,"
she said. "I've been brought up to eat very healthy,
so I don't have too much trouble doing that, but I
definitely exercise a lot. I've been working very
hard so thank god it's all paid off." The comp
saw the 38 finalists strut their stuff in catwalk
parades. Sex bikinis were all the rage. A select group
of a bakers dozen were picked, then reigning champ
Emmi Moore handed over her sash and championship title
to Blundell. "I've been doing this for three
years now and this is exactly what I've been dreaming
and hoping for," Blundell said. "I'm open
to any opportunity and I love challenges. I've obviously
done well in the bikini field, so I might just continue
on this track for a little while." Burlesque
babe Sina King from Underbelly home Melbourne snatched
runner-up while second runner-up went to 21-year-old
writer - journo type Tiffany Baker from Fremantle
in Western Australia.

Down
under's Australia's Michael Katsidis and his opponent
in Sunday's (AEST) interim lightweight world-title
fight at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Casino, America's Robert
"The Ghost" Guerrero, also have powerful
stories. Guerrero's world was crushed big time circa
2007 when his wife, Casey, was diagnosed with leukemia.
The Californian gave up boxing, giving up his world-title,
so he could be by Casey's side and stay close to their
young children as she underwent a bone-marrow transplant.
Things are now looking up for Guerrero. "Casey
has been cancer free for almost a year now,"
28-year-old Guerrero, the number one ranked lightweight
in the world and a former featherweight and super
featherweight champion, said. Last year Katsidis'
was having a dream run. The likable 30-year-old blokefrom
Toowoomba celebrated his first wedding anniversary
with wife Kumiko. He loved being a dad to their one-year-old
daughter Kalia and was preparing for the biggest bout
of his career, a world-title fight in Las Vegas against
Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez. Things quickly
went downhill when five weeks before the Marquez fight
he learned his 31-year-old brother, champion Australian
jockey (horse racing) Stathi Katsidis, had passed
away. Just days later Katsidis' longtime trainer,
Brendon Smith, received two more bad news calls. Smith's
nephew got paralysed from the chest down in an accident
and one of the trainer's former boxers passed away.
"We got it all within three weeks and just before
the Marquez fight," Smith said. Katsidis and
Smith made the call to keep training at their Thai
boxing camp and take on Marquez at the MGM Grand Casino,
a match that would be voted the Fight of the Year
after Katsidis floored Marquez to the mat in the third
round. Marquez guts and balls by getting up and pounding
Katsidis so badly ref Kenny Bayless ended the match
in the ninth round, giving Marquez a ninth round technical
knockout victory. On the eve of the Guerrero fight,
Katsidis and Smith, who kept quite before the Marquez
bout, finally opened up about their personal tragedies.
Katsidis did not sleep two days before the Marquez
fight. "He was emotionally spent before he got
in the ring and to do what he did under the circumstances
was incredible," Smith said. "I believe
if something doesn't kill you it only makes you stronger,"
Katsidis said. Guerrero has 22 knockouts in his 27
professional victories. "This is truly a fight
for boxing fans," Guerrero, who has a 28 win
(18 KO), one loss professional record, said. "You
are going to see two guys go at it and give it their
all." The winner of the match will be named the
interim World Boxing Association and World Boxing
Organisation lightweight champions. Promoter 'Golden
Boy' Oscar De La Hoya has named the MGM card "Action
Heroes", with another Mexican legend, Erik Morales,
fighting Argentina's exciting welterweight contender
Marcos Maidana and in another welterweight battle,
Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi VS Jose Miguel Cotto.
The matches will be broadcast live in Australia on
Sunday from 11am AEST by Main Event pay-per-view.
"For a boxing card, sounds like it will be value
for money for a bit of a change", said a Media
Man insider.

News

Crown
Casino Teams Up With NRL's Melbourne Storm...

Melbourne
are expecting a cyclone size backlash as the latest
National
Rugby League club to link with a gambling establishment
after confirming Crown Casino as their new major sponsor.
In a massive deal snatcher for a club which last year
was disgraced after being stripped of all points and
two premierships during the salary cap scandal, the
Storm unveiled Crown as their front jersey sponsor
on Friday. Melbourne chief executive Ron Gauci agreed
there would be criticism of the club's link with gambling.
However he defended the arrangement and said Crown
offered a home for Storm supporters, which the club
had not had since it joined the competition in 1998.
All Storm after-match and mid-season functions for
members will be held at Crown. The casino believes
the sponsorship will boost their exposure interstate.
"I think you'll have those that wish to comment
but I think we need to emphasise what it is that we
wanted out of the relationship and that is a home
for our supporter base," Gauci said. "If
you think about what Crown has to offer as an entertainment
complex ... this is a great place to consolidate those
activities." The Storm lost major sponsors Host
Plus and ME Bank in the wake of last season's scandal.
Gauci said the new sponsorship delivered a message
of confidence in the Storm ahead of the 2011 season.
"I think it does deliver us a substantial message
to the marketplace, and for the club it's very important
to have an organisation as big a Melbourne icon as
Crown is to support the club. It delivers a magnificent
message about the confidence the corporate world has
in Melbourne Storm and our future direction."
The Storm joined South
Sydney as the second NRL club to have a gambling
establishment as their major sponsor, while Penrith
have renamed their home ground Centrebet Stadium and
Manly will also have the Centrebet logo on the back
of their jumper. Yes, NRL ramped up links to gambling
are all the rage. A rumour has started that igaming
kings PartyGaming
want into Australia and would accept an NRL jersey,
shorts or even stadium deal. The firm is known for
its well known and respected PartyCasino,PartyPoker
and World
Poker Tour brands, which have a strong following
in Australia, other parts of the Asia Pacific, such
as New Zealand. Party is also looking to ramp up sports
betting services in the Asia Pacific region. Melbourne's
announcement also comes in the same week as Ryan Tandy,
who left the Storm midway through last season to join
Canterbury, was arrested and charged as a result of
an ongoing police investigation into "irregular
betting" on a match between the Canterbury Bulldogs
and North Queensland Cowboys last August. Dennis Watt,
rugby league general manager with News Limited, who
own the Storm, defended the arrangement between a
gambling establishment and a sport sold as a family
game. "I can speak for Crown as an integrated
entertainment, retail complex. It is very much reflective
of the heart and soul of Melbourne and it's a great
relationship for us to have and I don't see a conflict
for the relationship the Storm have sought here."
He echoed the views recently expressed by NRL chief
executive David Gallop that the association between
sport and gambling "is as old as sport itself".
"Gambling's a part of the Australian way of life,
part of our character and our history," he said.
"We advocate moderation, we know that problem
gambling affects less than half a per cent of the
population. "You've got two million problem drinkers,
four million smokers, over nine million Australians
suffering levels of obesity which are also big social
issues."

A
Media Man
spokesperson said "The Crown Casino - Melbourne
Storm sponsorship deal looks to be a match made in
heaven. Crown has world class facilities and entertainment
is the name of the game. Entertainment takes many
forms, be it football, burlesque, television, rock
bands or slot machines aka one armed bandits. Crown
Casino can do it all. Already this deal has generated
national and international headlines, and yes, we
are helping spread the word to our friends in the
U.S and Canada. Gambling911, CAP, GWPA and Poker News
Daily are just a few outlets that we expect to run
the story. It's balanced and positive coverage all
the way, instead of the agenda driven gaming hater
stuff you read from time to time. Chalk up more browny
points for Crown's James Packer and his world class
team at Crown, and good on the NRL and The Storm for
seeing the golden opportunity and moving it into high
gear. I never thought I would say this again after
last season's scandals, but Go The Storm!"

A
card-based system forcing pokie players to set betting
limits isn't a "bullet proof" solution to
problem gambling, poker machine maker Aristocrat Leisure
Ltd says. Aristocrat, representing over 60% of the
Australian pokies market, is instead proposing a machine-based
system that lets gamblers set time and/or betting
limits. But the proposal was met with some opposition
when Aristocrat executives appeared before a joint
federal parliamentary committee hearing in Sydney
on Friday. The committee is investigating the idea
of a pre-commitment scheme using smart card or other
technology to force pokie players to set limits on
their gambling. It follows a controversial commitment
from Prime Minister Julia Gillard to Tasmanian "independent"
(so to speak - has seen to be bias and preduduce against
those liking a punt) MP Andrew Wilkie to introduce
such a scheme across the country in return for his
support of her Labor government. "As a company,
we acknowledge that there is a problem out there,"
Aristocrat general manager of corporate affairs Kristene
Reynolds told the hearing. "For us, coming here
today is to come to the table and be part of that
solution." The company's managing director in
Australia and New Zealand, Trevor Croker, said card-based
systems, which have been used in other countries,
can be manipulated by problem gamblers. "It is
not a bullet proof solution. People do swap cards
and have been able to use multiple cards," he
said. "I think finding the complete solution
is going to be a very difficult outcome. "It
should not be something we don't aspire to, but it
will be very difficult, from what we see in those
(other) markets." Aristocrat will soon trial
a new slot machine that features opt-in pre-commitments,
allowing users the option to set themselves spending
or time limits. These machines could be ready for
mass production from the end of 2012, and phased in
as part of the normal machine replacement cycle, Croker
said. But with the average cost of a pokie at $25,000,
Labor MP Stephen Jones questioned the Aristocrat executives
on the cost effectiveness of such a solution. "It
would be good for Aristocrat, I can see that. But
it's a very expensive solution to the problem, isn't
it?", he asked. Aristocrat general manager of
design and development Justin Brown said smaller venues
could be given longer to replace their machines, while
newer models may only require a software upgrade,
at a cost of about $3,000. Mr Wilkie, the committee's
chairman, also questioned the motives of Aristocrat's
proposal. "I can't help feeling an element of
commercial self interest in your advice to the committee
here," he said. Further questioning resulted
in the Aristocrat executives conceding their machine-based
proposal would not prevent problem gamblers from simply
switching machines or venues once they had reached
a pre-committed loss or time limit. The hearings continue
in Canberra and Hobart later this month. In Australia
the machines are often known as pokies or poker machines,
in the U.S - slots, and much of Europe - Fruit Machines
or Fruities!

It's
steal from the rich to give to the poor! Ok, not exactly,
but read on and you will get the drift soon enough.
The Sunshine Coast has long been regarded as a prize
location by local residents, but now a range of national
and state lottery organisations are taking notice.
BoysTown Lotteries recently unveiled a million-dollar
home in Buderim as its latest prize home offering.
Located at 22 Orme Rd, the home is part of a prize
package worth more than $1.5 million. It is arguably
one of Buderims most beautiful homes, according
to BoysTowns general manager fundraising Keith
Coventry. "Our previous lottery prize home was
in Nerang (Gold Coast) and the one before that was
in Rainbow Bay (Coolangatta). Now we find ourselves
in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast. When deciding on
a prize home, we look at the property itself and then
the desirability of the location and the features
of the area," Coventry said. "I think the
thing about Buderim is that you are close to the beach,
but you also have those great views over the ocean
and the coastline. I guess you get the best of both
worlds. "The Buderim home has been particularly
popular and the retail sales have been very strong."
Yet another contender in the Coasts prize pool
is a home in Mount Coolum, raising funds for the Mater
Foundation as part of the Mater Prize Home Lottery.
Also sporting a million-dollar price tag, the home
is located at 47 Boardwalk Blvd in Coolums Boardwalk
Estate. Twin Waters is the site of Surf Life Saving
Lotterys prize home, which is valued at more
than $750,000. The three-bedroom home at Lot 4 Ameen
Cct comes with $41,832 in furniture and electrical,
along with 12 months paid council rates. Coventry
said funds raised from the BoysTown lottery would
assist the Kids Helpline service, which was in particular
demand since the recent floods. "Kids Helpline
is certainly taking a lot more calls from kids who
are worried about the impacts of the floods, or who
have been affected by the floods. A lot of people
are seeking assistance with the mental health aspects
of this natural disaster, so I think that is certainly
going to be the focus of much of our fundraising over
the coming months." The money raised from Mater
lotteries help funds medical research teams and the
purchase of life-saving medical equipment, as well
as supporting patients and families. Surf Life Saving
lotteries assist Surf Life Saving clubs around the
country. Aussies, feeling lucky. Go on, give them
a go, and you know the money is going to a good place,
if you don't happen to win. Mind you, feel welcome
to check out the slots, poker, bingo and other casino
games showcased on the portal also. BoysTown Lottery
will set you back a bit, while at Media Man partners
like PartyGaming, many games can be played for free
or for money. The choice if yours. Hours of entertainment
for young and old - just kidding, check legalities
but most counties insist you are at least 18 years
old to gamble, and that includes from lottery to poker
to slots, ok crew!

Clubs
Australia will today accuse the nation's productivity
watchdog of making a mathematical error in its claim
that problem gamblers are responsible for 40% of poker
machine revenue. Media Man spokespersons and investigators
have been disputing the "problem gambling"
numbers for almost 2 years! The figure of 40% is being
used by anti-gambling politicians aka "gaming
haters" to try to justify new limits on gambling
the Gillard government has pledged to introduce to
maintain the support of independent MP Andrew Wilkie
in the hung parliament. Clubs Australia is fighting
a mandatory precommitment scheme that would force
pokies players to set a limit on how much they intend
to spend before they start gambling. It claims the
scheme will cost clubs and pubs $2.5 billion nationally
and cost thousands of jobs if it turns off casual
gamblers from having a punt, throwing a couple of
bucks down the throat of an "one armed bandit",
whilst often sinking a cold Aussie beer at the same
time (not that we endorse it). Beer can change ones
thinking, but you likely knew that already Jack! Politicians
backing the reform have seized on a claim in the Productivity
Commission report that problem gamblers contribute
40% of pokie revenue to justify the crackdown. Clubs
Australia president Anthony 'On The Ball' Ball will
tell a parliamentary inquiry in Sydney today the figure
is "highly contentious" and "inaccurate".
In his opening address to the inquiry he will say
that the Productivity Commission claims there are
95,000 problem gamblers who play the pokies and spend
on average $21,000 each year on the machines. When
multiplied together, this comes to a total of $1.995bn,
and this figure represents just 16.8% of the $11.9bn
total expenditure on poker machines. "These are
not our numbers. These are the figures from the commission,"
Ball will say. "Therefore the vast majority of
gambling revenue comes from recreational gamblers."
The Productivity Commission used a range of different
methods to calculate the amount spent by problem gamblers
and found both problem and recreational gamblers underestimated
how much they spent on gambling each year. The 40
per cent figure was not derived from multiplying the
number of problem gamblers by the amount they said
they spent each year but was derived from a range
of surveys that looked at what gamblers actually spent.
Clubs Australia will tell the parliamentary committee
the proposed mandatory precommitment scheme is a "massive
infringement of people's individual rights".
"There's a vast difference between making the
pre-commitment available to any player who wants to
use it, and forcing anybody who wants to play a gaming
machine to register, obtain a device and provide personal
details or fingerprints in order to be able to play,"
Mr Ball plans to tell the inquiry.

Using
hi-tech to force pokies players to set betting limits
would drive gambling addicts online in the masses
and divert resources away from helping problem punters,
a Senate inquiry has heard. The inquiry, chaired by
Tasmanian federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie, is
investigating the concept of a pre-commitment scheme
using smart card or other technology to force all
pokies players to set limits on their gambling. Clubs
Australia, the peak body for registered clubs in the
nation, on Friday told the joint parliamentary committee
inquiring into the issue it had reservations about
the proposal in its current form. Clubs Australia
executive director Anthony Ball said more research
was needed on how effective it would be. "There
is very little good research out there about whether
this proposal or any others are going to work,"
he told the inquiry in Sydney. "There are a multitude
of gambling opportunities. The strategy must not be
to drive (problem gamblers) online ... The strategy
must be to find these people, get them the right treatment
and turn their lives around." He said state regulations
on gambling were sufficient and that a 'one-size-fits-all'
policy should not be applied across all states. Clubs
Australia president Peter Newell said the three main
issues regarding the scheme were cost, whether it
would reduce problem gambling and the consequences
of implementing it. He said the system failed to work
in Norway, and instead drove problem gamblers to the
internet. Five million Australians would play the
pokies in any given 12-month period and the system
would only drive away recreational players, who represented
the "vast majority" of gambling revenue,
he said. "As a recreational gambler myself, I
am disturbed that there are people who think I need
assistance in determining how I spend my money,"
he said. "Mandatory pre-commitment fails to provide
what problem gamblers need most and that is treatment,
and in doing so, diverts attention and resources away
from treatment. Problem gamblers will still gamble
in the mandatory pre-commitment system. They are addicted.
But recreational gamblers will walk away from pokie
machines." Newell said the system would be expensive
and difficult to implement across 197,000 machines
nationwide, taking years and billions of dollars to
do - forcing clubs to close and costing thousands
of jobs - with no indication as to how effective it
will be. It's man VS machine; The People VS The Government,
and The Government VS The Gaming Industry. News media
and website portals just keep lapping up the action
resulting in a readership jackpot bonanza.

The
Shane Warne Show At Aussie Millions 2011, by Greg
Tingle - 27th January 2011

G'day
everyone. How as your Australia Day maties? The casino,
gaming and sports betting news keeps coming thick
and fast. Media
Manhttp://www.mediamanint.com
and Gambling911
with the latest and greatest from the land down under...

Melbourne:
Shane Warne Shows Again At Aussie Millions...

Warnie
wore his poker face on Australia Day as he battled
some of the world's best poker champs at the Aussie
Millions Main Event at James Packers' Crown Casino.
The spinner king played among the likes of former
boxer and mate Jeff Fenech, fashion designer from
Playboy fame, Christopher Chronis and Australian poker
champ Joe Hachem. Warne and Hachem are the official
poker faces of Crown Limited and both enjoy good relationships
with Asia Pacific's gambling and media tycoon, James
Packer aka 'Our James'.

We're
learned that 2 high-profile pub casualties, listed
freehold owner Redcape Properties and venue operator
National Leisure & Gaming (NLG) collectively owe
about $860 million to their bank lenders. A senior
banker told the press that pub loans totalling "several
billion dollars" were spread across the bigger
lenders, with the absence of pub buyers leaving few
options but to extend debt repayments. Last month
the Bank of New Zealand Australia, the business division
of NAB, extended about $150m in NLG loans due at the
end of July until January 2012. However, banks continue
to lend on pub freeholds, albeit at reduced loan-to-valuation
ratios of 50-60%. Few are lending on leaseholds. The
harder line has fuelled fears of a further half a
% softening in yields in 2011. "If a bank is
only willing to lend 50% for a $20m acquisition, that
limits the number of buyers able to stump up a lazy
$10m," the senior industry figure said. While
pub markets across Australia are under pressure, New
South Wales...where there has been about 35 receiverships
since 2008 - has suffered most. The latest to go into
receivership is Icon Hospitality - the largest tenant
of the troubled listed ING Entertainment Fund. The
least affected state is Victoria, where poker machine
baron Bruce Mathieson and Woolworths dominate the
pub scene through their Australian Leisure & Hospitality
Group partnership. Likewise, the ALE pub freehold
group has the majority of its properties in Melbourne
and Queensland, making it another standout in the
listed pub space. Many Australian leading business
people say that the clubs need to improve entertainment,
beyond just offering entertaining "one armed
bandits". Also, good food for the right price
may help save the skin of some Aussie pubs, clubs
and hotels. No wonder the club sector is pissed off
with 'Mr X', pitching proposals which will further
reduce revenue streams. Aren't you glad you don't
own a pub!

Victorian
Government Targets Real Life Underbelly In And Around
Horse Racing Scene...

The
Victorian Government has authorised the state's racing
officials to access information from more crime-fighting
bodies, as part of a crackdown on shady characters.
The Racing Integrity Commissioner, Sal Perna, can
now trade data with the Australian Crime Commission,
the Australian Securities and Investment Commission,
Centrelink and the Victorian Ombudsman. He was already
authorised to view the files of Victoria Police and
the state's gambling regulator. The Racing Minister,
Denis Napthine, says crime is not welcome at the racetrack.
"In racing there are millions of dollars involved
on a daily and yearly basis, and this can sometimes
attract people of ill repute," he said. "And
the Racing Integrity Commissioner needs to have access
to information with other agencies so that he can
investigate any suggestions of impropriety."
Victoria Police was recently criticised for entering
into an information sharing agreement with the Australian
Football League. Dr Napthine says the AFL is a private
body, and the same concerns do not apply. "The
Racing Integrity Commissioner is a state public-sector
employee, and he is responsible for protecting the
integrity of racing in the state of Victoria, and
that is why he has access to this information,' he
said. "He is fully aware of the issues in terms
of protecting privacy." Mr Perna is a former
policeman, corporate security expert, architect of
Tennis Australia's Anti-Corruption Program and also
helped develop the AFL's integrity program.

A
man with terminal leukaemia has been sentenced to
jail for stealing millions of dollars from a law firm
trust account. William Brenton Willoughby, 65, admitted
stealing more than $2 million to buy and train racehorses
and gamble. Adelaide District Court Judge Paul Rice
said Willoughby abused his position as a loyal and
trusted employee of the Magarey Farlam law firm and
his behaviour was morally reprehensible. The judge
said the man would serve his time harder than others
because of his leukaemia and diabetes. Willoughby
has been jailed for 9 years with a five-year non-parole
term. Rumour had it that some inmates go get to play
cards in jail, with decks of cards sometimes being
smuggled in we're told. It's unknown exactly how any
wagers are paid in the can, but we suspect with vice
like beer, cigs or even mobile phones which are known
to be smuggled in from time to time.

The
manager of the Alice Springs Memorial Club says crime
is out of control in the town. Andrea Sullivan said
the club was broken into around one o'clock in the
morning and alcohol was stolen. She said while police
were taking a statement from her, the alleged offenders
returned and the police chased them and arrested them.
Ms Sullivan said repeated break-ins have cost the
club more than $20,000 over the last couple of months.
"I really think that it's as simple as this -
you do the crime, you do the time" Ms Sullivan
said. "The justice system has to be a lot harsher
on these people especially these repeat offenders.
"They're coming in over and over and over again
and I can tell you the town's people are getting very
tired and sick of it." Police have been kept
busy over the last two days with break-ins at two
other licenced premises. Police said all of the alleged
offenders have been arrested and charged. The offers
decent opportunities to have a punt. TAB, Keno, Bingo
and Slots we understand. From their website we learn...
TAB - We have the perfect setting for the eager punter,
with an up to date top tipping service supplied by
Bet-Busters and screening Sky Channel, Austar and
Foxtel Sports. The TAB has its own separate
area away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of
the Club. Fully operational seven days a week with
a fully equipped bar and ATM facilities available.
KENO - We have a fully operational Keno Terminal and
several screens to view the Keno situated throughout
the Club. BINGO - Bingo sessions are held privately
in our hall separated from the main Club area. Guests
are welcome to try their luck at winning cash jackpots.
Monday eyes down at 7:30 pm Sunday eyes down at 1:30
pm. Gaming - All the gaming functions are incorporated
in one area of the club and include 45 Gaming Machines;
Keno; TAB; Eight Ball & Darts rooms The gaming
area reflects a casual and inviting ambiance with
a modern and bold decor. In addition to the integrated
gaming area is a further convenience of an outdoor
smoking area that is central to all. The outdoor smoking
area is a tastefully designed including a tiled floor
and shaded area. Situated just off from the Main Bar
you can enjoy a drink and a flutter on one of our
45 gaming machines. We have a 13 machine Aristocrat
Fast Lane Hyperlink Jackpot system, 8
machine TAB Rocket to Riches linked Jackpot
system, 7 machine IGT Jetsetter linked
Jackpot system and an excellent variety of stand alone
machines. The Club has a policy of responsible gaming
and children under the age of 18 are not permitted
in this room. The Gaming Room opens from 11am till
late Monday to Saturday and 12pm - 9pm Sunday. We
open on all public holidays except Easter Friday and
Christmas Day. Members promotions are run in conjunction
with the Pokies, TAB & Keno. Our Members promotions
are held every fortnight and we change the prizes
every three months. Our Members Promotions have proved
very popular with prizes ranging from: Win Your Weight
in Gold White Goods worth up to $10,000 Cars Huge
Cash Give-aways. To collect tickets simply spend $20
on Poker Machine change, TAB, Keno, in the Bottle
Shop or buy a main meal in the Bistro. All draws take
place between 7pm & 9pm. To be eligible to win
you must be a current Financial Member and present
at the draws. *Committee Members, Staff and Family
of both (including boyfriends, girlfriends, de-facto's
etc) not eligible to win.

One
armed bandits are maintaining their popularity in
'The Sunshine State'. It's understand that punters
might have only a 1 in a million chance of winning
really big, lotto - millionaire style, but they just
keep coming back for more. Yep, throw another dime
in the pokie baby. Queenslanders "invested"
close to $2 billion last year as the punters passion
for the slots maintained its fever pace. The total
pokies expenditure of $1.81 billion was slightly down
on the previous year, it was the third year consecutively
the number exceeded $1.8 billion. We're also learned
that the 2008 figure of $1.83 billion was an all-time
record. Now, this is important - those numbers Do
Not take into account the rabid take up and roll our
of online poker or sports betting. You know, betting
over the global medium - the internet. Overall, Queenslanders
spent $7 million less on pokies than last year and
$28 million less than in 2008, but it still works
out at in excess of $150 million every month down
the slots August was the year's biggest month for
slot gamblers, who put close to $170 million in the
throats of the one armed bandits. August was also
the biggest month for gamblers in 2008, with more
than $173 million lost. Pokies remain by far the most
popular games for punters in Australia, bringing in
most of the estimated $17 billion spent on all forms
of gambling down under each year. Some insiders think
that the reduction in official spending was more a
sign of the increased popularity of internet and sports-based
gambling. Concentrating on pokie figures, it appears
Queenslanders gambled more at the height of the global
financial crisis two years ago than they did throughout
2010.

"The
Rabbitohs players are role models for young kids and
being tethered to Star City, to NSWs biggest
gambling venue, is really sending the wrong signal"

"It
normalises gambling behaviour for young kids."

"Why
would the Rabbitohs want to tie their reputation to
a business that causes so much misery to so many?"

"Its
a very sad development given that South Sydney was
a beacon of hope for those clubs wanting to ween themselves
off a reliance on gambling revenue"

"This
is only one short step removed from that so there
must be better ways to raise a quid rather than off
the backs of problem gamblers."

"In
the same way that you cant have tobacco companies
sponsoring sporting clubs, the same rule should apply
to gambling because the level of harm is so significant"

A
Media Man spokesperson said, "The you go Senator
Xenophon. Happy. We still give you coverage even if
you don't return our phone calls. Many clubs say you
are out of touch with real Australians and what the
typical bloke is all about. Punting has been a way
of life with Aussies and sports lovers the world over
since almost the beginning of time going back to the
Roman coliseum and beyond. Deal with it.

The
South Sydney Rabbitohs have announced that Luxbet
have joined the Club as a senior corporate partner
today, adding to the best-in-class brands associated
with the Club leading into the 2011 NRL season. Luxbet
is a racing and sports corporate bookmaking operation,
owned and managed by Tabcorp Holdings. Rabbitohs CEO
Shane Richardson is pleased to welcome Luxbet on board
with the Rabbitohs. "Luxbet is recognised as
a market leader in racing and sports betting and were
pleased to welcome them aboard for 2011. We have many
well-renowned and respected companies and brands associated
with our Club at the major and senior corporate partnership
level and Luxbet is another that we welcome to our
family." General Manager of Luxbet, Andrew Vouris,
says aligning with the Rabbitohs is a good move for
their organisation. "Luxbets sponsorship
of South Sydney presents us with a tremendous opportunity
to align with a club that is on the verge of an extremely
exciting period," Mr Vouris said. "We have
been particularly impressed with South Sydneys
vision for its future and we believe the sponsorship
will deliver significant benefits to both parties."

Crown
Limited: Donation tins in Crown complexes and have
committed to matching all donations as well as staff
contributions

Tabcorp
Holdings: $1 million

Tatts
Group: Going to run a dedicated lottery for the Queensland
flood appeal where all profits will go to the Premier's
Flood Appeal. They ran the same thing in Victoria
after the Black Saturday bushfires. It will run on
Wednesday 2 Feb in Queensland and is expected to raise
$200,000. In addition, another donation will be made
from the unclaimed prizes fund of an as. yet undecided
amount

Shane
Warnie Continues To Set Story Straight About 14 Mates
And Self Attending Tennis Open...

Warne's
pissed response to the Herald story, which was sourced
to two tournament officials, came as he prepared for
the second round of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament
at Crown casino. He attended the Open with poker former
champ Joe Hachem.

James
Packer Gets Council Approval To Develop Compound At
Vaucluse; Full Speed Ahead...

Media
and gaming tycoon James Packer has received council
approval to redevelop a 3369 square metre sloping
site in Sydneys ritzy eastern suburb of Vaucluse.
Packer with wife Erica has acquired three adjoining
homes between Wentworth and Victoria roads. The largest
home  a 1970s, unrenovated Guildford Bell designed
mansion will be retained (view from pool, right).
Packer, through company Monac Developments Pty Ltd,
paid $18 million for this home in mid 2009. Last year,
the businessman spent another $12.05 million acquiring
two smaller homes on blocks beneath the prominent
large home. These have both been demolished, allowing
the land to be consolidated. The Packers plan
to replace the demolished homes with a 13-car garage,
23 metre pool, underground cinema, gym and staff quarters.
A 2.4 metre high metal security gate will be developed
behind two 1.7 metre metal vehicle entry gates. Its
speculated the renovation will cost about $13 million.
Construction is underway. We can't wait to see the
finished product.

Class
action law firms say while the size of the claims
may be bigger, there is no big jump in the number
of cases. Blake Dawson partner John Emmerig says class
actions are increasing. "The High Court in 2006
changed a law to allow litigation funders to fund
these actions and there's a huge financial motivation
for funders in doing so because they take generally
between 20 to 45% of a settlement or judgment from
these claims," he said. Litigation funder IMF
Australia is well-known for funding some of Australia's
biggest class actions such as the $145 million payout
to investors from poker machine maker Aristocrat Leisure.
IMF has around 10 class actions on the go.

Aussie
SP Bookmaking Legend Passes Away...

Bruce
Johnstone who gained fame and notoriety as one of
Melbourne's best-known SP bookmakers and two-up operators
as well as playing a leading role in transforming
the face of basketball in Australia, has died of a
blood disorder in palliative care at Yarrawonga. He
was 87. Johnstone left home near Mortlake as a 15-year-old
with just a swag and £5 sewn into the lining
of his coat by his mother, and went on to afford a
regular table at the renowned Flower Drum restaurant
on Sunday evenings. Johnstone's SP bookmaking was
the stuff of legend and not for nothing was he widely
known as "Bruce the Bookie". But the undertaking
led to problems with the police. One particular raid
caused him much grief after his cockatoo fell asleep
and failed to warn of the onrushing police who started
battering down the door as Johnstone scrambled to
collect money strewn around the room. As the plainclothes
raiders were about to burst through, he cagily shouted,
"Call the police, call the police, robbers are
here". He is survived by his wife Emma, daughter
Kay, sons Gary, Robert and Max, their partners and
75 grand and great-grandchildren. RIP.

Australian-listed
pokies manufacturer, Aristocrat Leisure, will not
meet the deadline for reforms of the gaming industry.
The reforms were demanded by independent MP Andrew
Wilkie, whose support for the minority Federal Government
was conditional on the introduction of betting limits
for gamblers. Aristocrat Leisure stated on 26 January
2011 that the new system would not be ready by 2012
as planned by the Government.

Celebrate
Chinese New Year at Star City as we bring in the Year
of the Rabbit with a whole calendar of exciting festivities
and events. Start with a bang on New Year's Eve with
Chinese crackers in the Porte Cochere then enjoy dragon
and lion dancing, roving Chinese entertainers, a delicious
banquet in Lotus Pond and lots more!

Star's
New Baccarat Room...

The
new Baccarat room is the latest area to open as part
of Star Citys extensive refurbishment. Star
City has launched a luxurious new room in order to
provide a better experience for the large number of
customers that enjoy the game of Baccarat. Situated
on the Main Gaming Floor, the new room is appointed
with a dedicated buy-in desk and 18 custom made tables
and chairs for your ultimate comfort. Whats
more, when the urge arises to dine, the new Baccarat
room is conveniently located next to Star Citys
new restaurant, Fat Noodle. Join the communal dining
tables and relax in the warm surroundings whilst experiencing
the fast paced service and culinary theatre from the
open kitchen. The opulent surroundings of the new
Baccarat room will ensure you experience the thrill
of the game on a whole new level! Come and see it
for yourself today. Opens 24 hours, everyday.

Crown
Casino, Melbourne: More Great Entertainment Coming
Up...

Burlesque
Royale...

Starring
for the first time in Australia, UK burlesque sensation
Immodesty Blaize, Burlesque Royale is a never before
seen spectacular of old fashioned showgirl glamour.
Featuring for the first time in Australia, International
stars Kalani Kokonuts (US), Michelle L'amour (US),
and Perle Noire (US). Also performing are Australian
artists Danica Lee, Holly J'aDoll, Kelly Ann Doll,
and Lauren La Rouge with a special performance by
Mada Vs Vegas - The Duelling Magicians. Hosted by
the enigmatic Supergirly, Burlesque Royale is set
to take its audience on a wild ride with tongues set
firmly in cheek. VIP tickets will include a complimentary
drink, gift bag and access to the after party.

DATE

Friday
28 January, 2011

Dragon...

In
a special 3 part concert presented by BBC 2011, DRAGON
play 20 of the best songs of the 60's British pop
Invasion by 20 great British bands. The show begins
with DRAGON playing acoustic guitars, mandolin &
melodica. They will perform a capella and acoustic
versions of such great songs as Thunderclap Newman's
SOMETHING IN THE AIR, Cat Stevens' MATTHEW AND SON,
a rousing acoustic version of The Troggs GIRL LIKE
YOU by way of The Beatles YESTERDAY and more. After
a short intermission the band will be back in electric
mode tearing into the Stones GET OFF MY CLOUD followed
by The Beatles TICKET TO RIDE. This electric set of
great British songs gets crowd singing and dancing
along. Songs such as WHITE ROOM, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL
and WATERLOO SUNSET and ITCHYCOO PARK all get the
Dragon treatment and a new burst of life in 2010.
These are the 20 favourite songs that the guys in
Dragon played when they first took up their instruments.
They are timeless songs and the band loves playing
them. The DRAGON versions are fresh and affectionate
and have an energy that references the way these songs
turned the music world upside down in the 60's. In
the encore Dragon will play 6 of their timeless hits
including APRIL SUN, CELEBRATE, RAIN and ARE YOU OLD
ENOUGH.

DATE

Friday
25 March, 2011

Cliff
& Dusty...

Three
great International artists, one unique concert experience,
featuring all the hits of two music icons once described
as the King & Queen of British rock but who, amazingly,
never appeared on stage together. That was until now
as Australian music legend Marty Rhone and the stunning
Sheena Crouch make it possible to imagine what the
experience might have been like. Audiences will hear
all the great Cliff & Dusty classics that brought
over 200 million record sales and 50 hits such as
The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Devil Woman, We Don't
Talk Anymore, Dreamin', I Only Want to be With You,
Son of a Preacher Man, You Don't Have to Say You Love
Me and many more. Plus, direct from the UK, special
guest, Sir Cliff Richard protégé Barratt
Waugh, whom Cliff has described as one of the most
exciting and unique talents he has come across in
his 50 years in the business. We are delighted to
introduce Barratt Waugh to Australian audiences. Don't
miss the concert experience of the year.

DATE

Saturday
18 June, 2011

Getting
board of reading yet? If so, try your luck er skill
at Baccarat or Craps. If your more into luck, check
out the slots like Cleopatra, Sinatra, Rambo, Goanna
Gold and The Terminator. Rumour goes PartyGaming also
have, or will soon get, a World Poker Tour themed
online slot game. We recommend punters open an account
with PartyCasino, PartyGaming and World Poker Tour,
just to have all based covered. Party appears to still
be the most popular online casino brand in Australia
despite big efforts by the likes of 888. Marvel slot
games are forecast to be some of the most popular
of this year with Captain America and Thor tipped
to hit Australia cinema's this year, with Spider-Man
also getting a remake. Whatever your casino game of
choice, good luck, and let us know how you go guys
and girls. Spin to win.

Take
the time to research and learn games before placing
down money

Media
Man http://www.mediamanint.com, Casino News Media
Gambling911 are website portals. Not casinos as such,
however are recognised as world leading websites that
cover the sector and act as central points to games,
news, reviews and more.

Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us
in the forum.

If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.

*Greg
Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911

*Media
Man http://www.mediamanint.com
is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal
development company. Gaming is just one of a dozen
sectors covered

News

Australia
Day Special, by Greg Tingle - 26th January 2011

G'day
and Happy Australia Day everyone. Ok, we know some
of you punters, journos, high rollers - casino whales,
entertainment news junkies, politicians, insiders,
outsiders and legal eagles are from across the globe
are not Australia, nor have ever been down under,
but you get the idea. Did you know that some indigenous
Australia's call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'! That's
because most history books show that Captain James
Cook and his crew invaded Australia on this day in
1988. They are known by a new names including the
First Fleet, while some aborigines will always think
of them and murderous mongrels, who stole their land
and pride. It's easy for many of us to get the point
of the blackfellas (affectionate). Media
Man and Gambling911
with a bush tucker bag full of Australian gambling,
casino, poker, media and sports news. Fair winds...

One
armed bandits are maintaining their popularity in
'The Sunshine State'. It's understand that punters
might have only a 1 in a million chance of winning
really big, lotto - millionaire style, but they just
keep coming back for more. Yep, throw another dime
in the pokie baby. Queenslanders "invested"
close to $2 billion last year as the punters passion
for the slots maintained its fever pace. The total
pokies expenditure of $1.81 billion was slightly down
on the previous year, it was the third year consecutively
the number exceeded $1.8 billion. We're also learned
that the 2008 figure of $1.83 billion was an all-time
record. Now, this is important - those numbers Do
Not take into account the rabid take up and roll our
of online poker or sports betting. You know, betting
over the global medium - the internet. Overall, Queenslanders
spent $7 million less on pokies than last year and
$28 million less than in 2008, but it still works
out at in excess of $150 million every month down
the slots August was the year's biggest month for
slot gamblers, who put close to $170 million in the
throats of the one armed bandits. August was also
the biggest month for gamblers in 2008, with more
than $173 million lost. Pokies remain by far the most
popular games for punters in Australia, bringing in
most of the estimated $17 billion spent on all forms
of gambling down under each year. Some insiders think
that the reduction in official spending was more a
sign of the increased popularity of internet and sports-based
gambling. Concentrating on pokie figures, it appears
Queenslanders gambled more at the height of the global
financial crisis two years ago than they did throughout
2010.

Tassie
'Devil' Gambling Tycoon Devilish Quotes...

David
Walsh from Tasmania was such a big hit with the readership
we thought we would dig up a few more of the red hot
'The Devil's' quotes, that are too good not to share.
First a refresher...Art and gambling do mix, at least
that's the experience of Brits Damian Aspinall, Phil
'Tuffers' Tufnell, Australian artist Gina Sinozich,
Media Man
(bodypaint and burlesque "fetish") and Tasmanian
gambling whale - tycoon, David 'Wicked' (satire) Walsh.
You will pick up on Dave's affectionate nickname by
us later. We like you David, ok mate. Tasmania's most
famous or infamous gambling figure, millionaire, David
Walsh yesterday gave us a peak into his art exhibit...the
biggest (and weirdest) private art gallery in Tasmania,
if not the Asia Pacific. The $110 million Museum of
Old and New Art is nestled on the banks of Hobart's
Derwent River.

Quotes
By The Tasmanian Devil!...

"FUCK
the art, let's rock'n'roll."

"I
think formal curation is a form of mental masturbation."

"I'm
not really that interested in a bunch of big names.
Most of the works are by people most people haven't
heard of and still won't have heard of because there's
no wall labels."

"I
don't want to lose control (or) something that ends
up looking like a pale version of the National Gallery
of Victoria".

"Subversive
adult Disneyland".

"Please
see reception if you are planning a pool party or
a ritualistic orgy."

"It's
the opportunity to mess with your head. I like the
idea of people having a couple of beers and looking
at the art, having a couple more and changing their
mind."

"Ill
take all the popular stuff out. And if you go to the
toilet two or three times well recommend a good
urologist."

My
brother once said about me that Id rather be
outside a barrel pissing in than inside the barrel
pissing out. Im anti this idea that we know
what were doing with certainty. I kinda think
that most things that are good happen to people largely
by accident, but then they start looking for explanations.
You see the views of rich, successful people on television,
and they tell you why they got rich and successful;
they dont interview all the people who went
through the same process and didnt. I think
most things are complete crap. I want to show that
you can be fortunate without believing that your fortune
was anything other than fortune."

"There
are so many things we do that we hide from. We hack
open cows and eat their guts but we compartmentalise
that away from our lives so we can pretend its
not happening. And on a larger, more important scale,
if each of us acted individually to say OK,
we f ed up the atmosphere, it is our personal
responsibility, humanity would behave in a very
different way."

"One
of the things about having money is that I
feel a bit of guilt and a level of privilege, and
it seems to be an obligation to do something, and
since art is what Ive been doing....but it wasnt
really like that. It was: I bought this small gallery,
bought a bigger one, and gradually it became something
of this scale. Its become a lot more serious
endeavour than I intended it to be. Theres a
bit of thumbing my nose at the establishment and trying
to bypass academia, but mainly I just wanted it to
be a bit of fun. And it is. And it will be."

Punters,
let's all spare a thought for those who have been
attacked by the floods on Australia Day. Numerous
events are being planed around Australia, from 'Sound
Relief' to and initiative from the Cairns Reef Hotel
Casino 'Bring on the Sun' It will be one of the biggest
events on the Australia Day calendar for the city
and all funds raised will go to the Premiers
Flood Relief Appeal. There's a good old fashioned
sausage sizzle, competitions and female performers
including the Marlins cheer squad. "The
whole idea is slanted towards the female performer,"
entertainment manager Bruce Stewart said. "Weve
got an eclectic blend of female artists coming to
perform as well." Cazalys, El Mundo Tapas Bar
and the Marlin Coast Bowls Club will also host events
to raise money for flood victims. Cairns Regional
Council will hold events across the region, including
the ever-popular celebrations on the Esplanade. Mayor
Val Schier said the council was expecting a good attendance
as usual with residents keen to get outside and celebrate
our sunburnt country in the green and gold. "Even
last year when it poured, a huge number of people
came to the Aussie breakfast; we expect the same will
happen this year, rain, hail or shine. It is one of
those days where people can come together as a community
and help celebrate why it is great to be an Australian.
We live in a fantastic country and it is good for
people to get out and enjoy it." Pubs and clubs
will also get into the Aussie spirit with a number
of activities on offer. Paradise Palms Resort and
Country Club has a patriotic, fun-filled day planned
with activities that pay homage to Australias
heritage such as the much-anticipated pie-eating competition.
"Everybody is welcome to come along and have
some fun while tucking into our Aussie selection of
meat pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic Australian
music by DJ Danny from Millennium Sounds," director
of sales and marketing Darlene Holdsworth said.

Events

Join
the celebrations

Paradise
Palms Resort and Country Club Australia Day celebrations
Whats on: Australian menu served from noon in
Restaurant 59, pie-eating and thong-throwing competitions
start at 1.30pm. Pies, icy beers, lamingtons and classic
Australian music on offer at the resort.
Time: 12pm. Entry free.

Shane Warne And Poker Mates Get VIP Star Treatment
At Australian Open Tennis Sunday Night...

The
spinner got there at 8pm hoping to get star VIP treatment
for 14 of his closest mates. In the mix was was Joe
Hachem, who he had earlier caught up with at the launch
of the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament at Crown Casino.
Warne requested an escort (no, not that type silly)
when he arrived and posed mostly for photographs with
his sunglasses on. He also spent time in Andy Roddick's
player's box during his loss to Swissman Stanislas
Wawrinka. It been a big couple of days for "poker
her" for the legend, playing rendezvous with
Liz Hurley in LA. He is expected to play in the second
round of the poker tournament and could face off against
Gary Ablett Jr and Jeff Fenech tomorrow. Blett made
it through to the second round.

It
took us a few months of going through newspapers but
we finally found the AFR to make a slip up, and its
a doozy....An article reads "the complex will
have a few upmarket bars, including one on the roof,
and an events theatre to house live acts  think
Lady Gaga  as well as awards nights." With
Gaga's level of popularity she would require a much
larger venue than Star City. Earlier this year, she
- they played two concerts at the Sydney Entertainment
Centre, capacity 12,000 or thereabouts. Do the math.

Melbourne
folks at Crown Casino recently enjoyed 'The Jokers
Comedy That Rocks' at Crown Casino. James Packer's
casino donated all proceeds from last Friday nights
show to Queensland flood victims. Organiser William
Leitch has happy with the way things went and showcased
an evening with some of the citys top stand-up
artists, including Brad Oakes, Christine Basil and
Greg Fleet. It's understood he got close to 150 people
to come along, and he may be invited back on upcoming
Friday nights.

39.
Crown: Donation tins in Crown complexes and have committed
to matching all donations as well as staff contributions

52.
Tabcorp Holdings: $1 million

78.
Tatts Group: Going to run a dedicated lottery for
the Queensland flood appeal where all profits will
go to the Premier's Flood Appeal. They ran the same
thing in Victoria after the Black Saturday bushfires.
It will run on Wednesday 2 Feb in Queensland and is
expected to raise $200,000. In addition, another donation
will be made from the unclaimed prizes fund of an
as. yet undecided amount

79.
Fairfax Media: Matching staff donations

100.
Seek: Reported it had made a donation to the Premier's
Flood Appeal but chose not to disclose how much

It's
been reported in a number of Queensland newspapers
that the $1000 flood relief grants that went to many
good folks in Granville are being used to feed slots
and buy piss (beer) rather than food and necessities.
Two Maryborough publicans say that in some instances
the answer to that is yes, and they are disgusted.
One of the publicans was so incensed by the misuse
of flood relief money she telephoned Fairfax Media
to complain. "A man came in bragging about how
hed got the $1000 payout because he told Centrelink
he was stuck in Granville  but he was here the
whole time. It makes me sick that people are openly
admitting theyve got the money for nothing,
while there are people whove died or lost everything."
She said Centrelink should have screened the applications
more carefully to make sure only people who were genuinely
in need received the cash. Another pub owner said
his one armed bandits had not stopped buzzing since
the grants became available. "We were quiet during
the actual floods but this weeks been totally
different. The pokies and the bottle shop have been
going non-stop." Yeah, Aussie continue to love
a punt, rain, hail, shine or flood!

Aussie
Millions Game 8 Results...

The
London based chap took down the $1,100 8 game mixed
event title at Crown Casino in Melbourne adding AUD$23,800
to his almost $1.2 million in career tournament earnings.
He entered the final table as the short stack, but
managed to grind his way to victory and nudge away
Australia's Bruno Portaro for the victory. The event
marked Ashby's 8th final table appearance at the Aussie
Millions that includes a side-event win back in 2005
and a seventh-place finish in the main event in 2009.
Ashby also won his first WSOP bracelet this summer
in the $1,500 7 Card Stud event and went well in the
$10k H.O.R.S.E. for his biggest career score of $378,027.
The 2011 Aussie Millions $1,100 8-Game Mixed event
drew 68-players and paid the final 7.

Aussie
Main Event Day 1b: PartyPoker And Full Tilt Poker
Players Feel The Pain...

PartyGaming'sPartyPoker
and Full Tilt Poker's powers that be likely won't
be celebrating. Ok, they got news coverage and exposure,
but its because their players are out. Yep, history
maties. Full Tilt went well on Day 1a but Day 1b was
rooted. Many of the big name pros went down for the
count as locals stepped up. 209 players entered the
Crown Poker room but after 7 levels of play, 80 remained.
David Oppenheim, Annette Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen,
David Benyamine, Andrew Feldman, Steve Yea, Andy Bloch
and Gus Hansen were some of the Full Tilt players
who died. Other casualties included Luke Santo, Raj
Ramakrishnan, George Moussa, Michael Pedley, Graeme
Putt, Martin Comer, Dennis Huntly, Jamie Pickering,
Bruno Portaro, Casey Kastle, Ben Savage and Tim Marsters.
2005 World Champion Joe Hachem (tweeting he struggled
with jetlag following a recent trip to the PokerStars
Caribbean Adventure.) Defending champ, 2010 Aussie
Millions Main Event winner Tyron Krost (PartyGaming's
PartyPoker
pro went down too). A new champ will be crowned in
2011 with plenty of Aussies still in contention. The
field kicked off with Jeff Rossier in the lead with
154,900, closely followed by Michael Ottobra (143,400)
and Martin Drewe, After winning the Opening Event
last week and going deep in another event, Drewe is
now set in the chip leaders in the Main Event after
getting to 136,100. Jay SEABEAST Kinkade
did nicely with 128,700, Haibo Chu (113,900), Manny
Stavropoulos (85,600), Sorel Mizzi (74,400), Michael
Egan (61,100), Kent Hunter (56,400), Jeff Lisandro
(55,000), Eric Assadourian (50,300), Scott Montgomery
(49,200), Chris Ferguson (45,400), Lee Nelson (30,200),
Neil Channing (28,800), Roland de Wolfe (26,100),
Aleks Brkovic (24,600), Jackie Glazier (21,900), Grant
Levy (18,300), Gary Benson (10,500) and Mel Judah
(7,200) amongst those who will return on Day 2. The
3rd and final flight of the 2011 Aussie Millions Main
will commence Tuesday with another strong field and
a few big names expected. Even Van Marcus will front
up. Van, is your Red Ferrari safe this time mate?
We're looking for more good fodder to write about.
How about do a publicity stunt and make world wide
headlines ago. Maybe someone at Crown Casino - Crown
Limited might be open to it. Stanger things have happened...
like Ferrari's getting stolen on site, casino fights
and a man getting stuck in the Crown Casino kitchen
grease vacuum.

Aussie
Millions Event #9 Day 1b: Rossiter In Front...

It
was down to business with players investing AUD$10,600
to buy in all with the goal of becoming the 2011 Aussie
Millions Champion. 7 seven levels of play, and the
209-player field went to 80. Jeff Rossiter is in front
with 154,900. Martin Drewe, 2011 Aussie Millions Event
#1 winner with 136,100 - now 3rd on the leaderboard.
Australian Jay Kinkade is on 128,700, and European
Poker Tour mainstay Jeff Sarwer sits 5th with 120,500.
Randy "nanonoko" Lew has 110,000 and Gavin
Griffin 101,700 in 9th ninth and 10th place. Sorel
Mizzi, Jeffrey Lisandro, Eric Assadourian, Team Full
Tilt's Chris Ferguson, Full Tilt Poker Red Pros Scott
Montgomery and Roland de Wolfe, Neil Channing, and
Lee Nelson have also all made it to Wednesday's Day
2, but it was touch and go for some of them, testing
the skill VS luck debate. Full Tilt Poker $25,000
Shootout Invitational winner David Oppenheim, Annette
Obrestad, Carlos Mortensen, Andy Bloch, David Benyamine,
Andrew Feldman, Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem, and David
Steicke all had to say goodnight nurse. PartyGaming's
- PartyPoker
Tyron Krost was eliminated in a hand VS Gavin Griffin
where his Ace-Queen couldn't best Griffin's Aces.
The 3rd and final Day 1 flight commences Tuesday in
Melbourne, Australia at 12:30 p.m. local time.

Getting
board of poker yet? If so, try your luck er skill
at Baccarat or Craps. If your more into luck, check
out the slots like Cleopatra, Sinatra, Rambo, Goanna
Gold and The Terminator. Rumour goes PartyGaming
also have, or will soon get, a World
Poker Tour themed online slot game. We recommend
punters open an account with PartyCasino,PartyGaming
and World
Poker Tour, just to have all based covered. Party
appears to still be the most popular online casino
brand in Australia despite big efforts by the likes
of 888. Marvel
slot games are forecast to be some of the most
popular of this year with Captain
America and Thor
tipped to hit Australia cinema's this year, with Spider-Man
also getting a remake. Whatever your casino game of
choice, good luck, and let us know how you go guys
and girls. Spin to win.

Take
the time to research and learn games before placing
down money

Media
Man,Casino
News Media and Gambling911
are website portals. Not casinos as such, however
are recognised as world leading websites that cover
the sector and act as central points to games, news,
reviews and more.

Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Tell us
in the forum.

If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.

G'day
punters, journos, high rollers - casino whales, NRL
sports nuts, entertainment and arts news junkies,
politicians, insiders, outsiders, legal eagles...
one and all. Today we have a huge news update for
you. We've got the gambling tycoon in Tassie opening
his art exhibit, the Centrebet Stadium deal, shady
deals at a pokie palace, political fun and games,
and much more. Media
Man and Gambling911
with another massive report that will help keep you
out of trouble this weekend (or provide just enough
info to get you into trouble)...

Art
and gambling do mix, at least that's the experience
of Brits Damian Aspinall, Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell,
Australian artist Gina Sinozich, Media Man (bodypaint
and burlesque "fetish") and Tasmanian gambling
whale - tycoon, David 'Wicked' (satire) Walsh. You
will pick up on Dave's affectionate nickname by us
later. We like you David, ok mate.

Tasmania's
most famous or infamous gambling figure, millionaire,
David Walsh yesterday gave us a peak into his art
exbit...the biggest (and weirdest) private art gallery
in Tasmania, if not the Asia Pacific. The $110 million
Museum of Old and New Art is nestled on the banks
of Hobart's Derwent River.

He
was going to give a press announcement everyone was
eagerly awaiting. A minder advised. Next thing...
"No I'm not" and the formalities were done.
His pink t-shirt sported the charming words - "FUCK
the art, let's rock'n'roll."

His
expo has been championed "Subversive Disneyland
at the end of the world", and the word is that
Walsh might be now challenging Sydney for the title
of 'Sin City'. Maybe in your dreams Dave, but if you
keep going, you might get there.

A
Media Man insider shouted "Bring the freak show
to Sydney David. Show em how its done in Sin City,
if you are the king on Sin". Walsh didn't respond,
but leakers reckon he broke into a devilish smile,
perhaps the MM sparking something. Yep, this bloke
likes a bit of attention, and it seems he wants to
be known as #1, even if his art is "for fun".

It
was the hottest (sexiest and darkest) ticket in town.
A party for 1350 invited guests and ballot winners,
the art collector and number cruncher, who we understand
made his millions via syndicate gambling, showcased
his idea of art with punters and news media lapping
it up.

MONA
director Mark Fraser went on the record "This
museum is David's...he makes every decision and that
is very, very different to most museums."

On
display in the multi-level gallery - the steel structure
designed by Melbourne based architect Nonda Katsalidis
is built into a cliff. There's roughly 200 artworks
purchased by the "devilish" Walsh over 2
decades. Insiders understand its one-tenth of his
entire collection. Artefact's, traditional art, contemporary
art and a good dose of what we might just call sex
and death art.

Walsh
has been upfront saying that MONA "explores sex
and death", but that's just a fraction of the
collection. Insiders say he also includes it to make
sure he gets strong media attention, something he
missed out on in the past, as hard as that may be
to believe.

Fancy
a wall of plaster casts of women's genitalia? Line
up, line up. The greatest show on earth, you could
imagine P.T Barnum shouting at the top of his lungs.

Walsh
generously shares "I think formal curation is
a form of mental masturbation."

Traditional
curators and galleries, he said, threw together what
works they could manage and then invented ways to
categorise them in a manner that was essentially superficial
and misleading.

"I'm
not really that interested in a bunch of big names.
Most of the works are by people most people haven't
heard of and still won't have heard of because there's
no wall labels."

Walsh
advised he wanted MONA to become one of Tasmania's
biggest tourist destinations, and judging by the response,
he might just meet that goal. He's also impressively
created the museum without formal government assistance,
such is the health of his gambling and casino endeavors.

There
is no board of directors unlike the nation's other
supposed leading private museums, such as TarraWarra
in Victoria, Walsh has not sought not-for-profit status.

"I
don't want to lose control (or) something that ends
up looking like a pale version of the National Gallery
of Victoria," he said in a way that you could
tell he's thought the questions and potential answers
through his brain before.

Profits
from the adjacent winery, restaurant, brewery and
boutique hotel will help underpin annual running costs
of $8m. If there's a shortfall, we think 'Our David'
should be able to pick up the slack.

There's
something for almost everyone here, but we suspect
big Sunday church goers might be giving it a big miss.
Oh, celebs and a-list types the world over dig David
and his works, and substantial steps had been taken
to protect the names of... wait for it...David Bowie
and Mick Jagger. If they are fans, they are not saying
or publicly endorsing it (yet). Sex, a bit of vice,
the gambling connection. Sounds like you? Yep, that's
what we thought. Have you booked your ticket yet?

Centrebet
has buried and put the hurt on critics of its media
and public heat seeker naming-rights stadium deal
with Penrith Panthers, stating on the record that
the the anti-gambling lobby were "like cracked
records" in opposing it's newest deal. Off the
the record it called them a host of unspeakables!
The clubs' name change to Centrebet Stadium Penrith
was announced by the Panthers just yesterday after
the sponsorship rumours were first announced by Fairfax
Media, creating a title wave of coverage across the
globe. It's a 5-year deal, worth more than $1.5 million
bucks, making the western Sydney sports ground the
first down under to adopt the name of a bookie. Anti-gambling
campaigner Senator Nick Xenophon last week was pissed
at the NRL for permitting the Panthers to make the
name change, criticism that bit 'Mr X' (satire nick
name from MM) back from Centrebet when confirmation
came yesterday. Get
ready for this punters. You might like the 2 cents
directed at the gaming and casino haters... the thought
police. "The 'anti brigade' are becoming like
cracked records," Centrebet boss Neil Evans said.
"Why don't they survey the blokes walking into
the ground, down at the shopping mall, on the building
sites, and in the pubs and see what they think? My
attitude is...reality is reality. And business is
business. I congratulate the Panthers board and the
Penrith City Council on their forthrightness and strong-minded
stance. Most clubs, especially those hardly flushed
with cash, would dream about a 5-year ground deal
worth around $1.5 million, and that's before we start
talking about the spin-off effects for the community
and all the hard-working people in and around the
club." Media Man did a spot survey around the
eastern suburbs of Sydney and a spokesperson said
"About 90% of people in the community are fine
with gambling, gaming and sports betting. They know
a small percentage can get into trouble, but for many
Aussies is a strong tradition and a way of live. You
know, the Melbourne Cup, Two-Up, having a game of
poker with your mates, or throwing a couple of bucks
down the throat of a pokie just to try your luck.
Most level headed people, the non extremists, see
the merit in the Centrebet deal, and we understand
that now the likes of PartyGaming, Betfair and others
will be exploring possibilities for their firms, which
might just help save the NRL for massive financial
stress. It looks like a win - win win". The Federal
Minister for Sport, Mark Arbib, is working diligently
with reps of Australia's 7 major sporting codes on
ways to wipe out match-fixing but said the Panthers'
stadium deal was not a concern. A report compiled
by a working party commissioned by the the Coalition
of Major Professional Sports is set to be out by next
month. "Sponsorship of sporting codes and stadiums
is a matter for the individual stadium owners and
sporting organisations. The NRL have advised the government
that the sponsorship agreement between the Panthers
and Centrebet meets its own gambling and sponsorship
guidelines. The select council on gambling reform
led by Minister (Jenny) Macklin has put the regulation
of online gambling in their forward work agenda. And
as sports minister I'm working with the sporting codes,
including the NRL, on the issue of match-fixing and
integrity in sport." Centrebet currently has
sponsorships with 4 other clubs in the National Rugby
League, which forces all betting agencies associated
with the game to sign integrity agreements. The stadium
sponsorship was called as a great boon for Penrith
by the football club's chief executive, Michael Leary.
"Centrebet has been a responsible corporate partner
of the Panthers since coming on board with the club
in 2010. Our stadium has become a centre of excellence
by not only hosting high-level rugby league in the
national competition but through its ability to be
community-centric in accommodating several community
organisations. Centbet, The Footy Show sponsored corner
on Network Nine's 'The Footy show', now Centrebet
Stadium, next The World. Spies continue to tell us
that PartyGaming, Betfair and others are circling
the wagons and won't be taking it lying down. Punters,
get ready for another round of Australian gambling
wars. This week: Gambling lovers and punters 1 - haters
- Nil!

Newcastle;
NSW - Publican In Hot Water Over Cash Loans To Punter
Patrons...

An
ex licensee of West Wallsends Museum Hotel has
been fined after admitting to giving $730 in cash
advancements to patrons but has defended other claims
of lending pub regulars thousands of dollars to spend
on alcohol and gambling. In a written decision last
month the Casino, Liquor, Gaming and Control Authority
fined Peter Francis Dobb $2920, after he admitted
a modest $730 in payments were unlawful cash advances.
However he rejected allegations from the Office of
Liquor, Gaming and Racing that a further $4455 of
transactions were loans or repayments of loans from
or to regular customers to spend on beer and "one
armed bandits" and other items. The complaint
to the authority was dated March 10, 2010, but grew
legs from a complaint to the office back in 2007.
Dobb was the licensee of the hotel from October 2006
to September 2008. For the record the current licensee
was not the subject of any complaint. The office submitted
that two inspectors visited the hotel to investigate
in October 2007. They reported finding and seizing
a number of TAB betting tickets and other pieces of
paper with names or nicknames written on them and
sums of money, what appeared to be records of payment
and a deposit book. The names included the fair dinkim
Aussie nicknames "Beryl", "Dapto",
"Chief", "Supa" and "Vinnie".
The inspectors advised they interviewed several parties
including "Beryl" who said she regularly
borrowed money before pension day to buy cigarettes
and "a couple of beers". Another punter
claimed he borrowed money to play the pokies because
he sometimes exceeded his key card limit. Mnn, some
folks said the pokies limit aka "mandatory"
wouldn't work, and one may speculate if this is the
first high profile case of proof. Or, is it a coincidence,
and its just beers and ciggies"? Dobb said some
records related to invoices the hotel had issued for
items including an 18th birthday function and two
beer kegs for a soccer final. Other records related
to patrons money that was held in the hotel
safe to mind. The office argued the invoices were
handwritten and may have been drawn up after the event.
It coughed up that a $55 record marked "roo chooks"
was paid to Red Lea Chickens before a chook raffle.
No, Pluka-Duke was not a witness to the events, nor
were they called to court. The authority concluded
it would need to hear from witnesses who lived out
of the area to discover the truth of the $4400. It
noted the "likely costs" of further investigations
and the amount in dispute then opted to rule on the
payments Dobb conceded. Dobbs solicitor Paul
Sullivan said yesterday his client now ran another
country hotel and had not been the subject of any
further matters. We challenge the readership to find
us a better regional Aussie yarn that this one ok
maties.

Tatts
eyes bank market to refinance $US700m...

Gaming
and wagering giant Tatts Group Ltd is considering
refinancing its $700 million in bank debt with its
existing lenders after tapping the United States private
market in December, its CFO said last Wednesday. The
company, which had $911 million ($US909 million) of
bank loans maturing in June 2011, refinanced $US225
million in the US private placement market at the
end of 2010, leaving around $700 million outstanding.
"We are contemplating an option of whether our
banks wish to roll over the rest of the debt,"
Tatts chief financial officer Ray Gunston told the
press. According to data from Thomson Reuters LPC,
Tatts existing lenders are ANZ Ltd, BNP Paribas, Commonwealth
Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Royal
Bank of Scotland and Westpac Banking Corp. There is
ample liquidity in the bank market and banks are willing
to lend for longer maturities for the right credit.
This compared to during the financial crisis where
borrowers struggled to get tenors beyond three years.
"We are still working through our options. But
it is my understanding five-year bank debt has become
more available than previously," Gunston said.
The company is also keeping an eye on the fledging
retail bond market as a funding option though, but
sees it as pricey. "We have not taken (retail
bonds) off the agenda," Gunston said. "We
are looking at where it fits into our profile. But
it is still expensive and there are a number of issues."
The overall costs of retail bonds still remain quite
high in Australia despite measures introduced last
year to reduce lengthy prospectus documents and cut
costs for small bond issues. Tatts is not publicly
rated but US debt investors estimate its ratings to
stand between Standard & Poor's BBB-plus and BBB-minus.

The
champion spinner and reported ladies man, Shane Warne,
admitted he had been "busted" spending a
romantic weekend with English actress - babe Elizabeth
Hurley. The cricket legend had been trying to keep
the reunion under wraps after making a last-minute
dash to Los Angeles to rendezvous with the glamourous
movie star. But Warne, 41, was outed by keen News
Limited newspaper readers who spotted him on a flight
back from Los Angeles on Sunday evening. Approached
by the News Limited's Herald Sun at Crown's Aussie
Millions Poker charity fundraiser on Wednesday night,
Warne grinned and said: "Yeah, I know we've been
busted." He declined further comment on the success
of his reunion with the 45-year-old beauty. "Er,
next question," he replied. But mates at the
benefit later revealed Warne had confirmed his weekend
had gone "very well" and he had rekindled
the flame with Hurley. Their romance has slowed a
touch when it was revealed Warne has apparently sent
more than 100 text messages to married Brighton woman
Adele Angelari. "Let's just say he was pretty
happy," said a mate. Hurley made no secret of
being in Los Angeles, tweeting about the weather and
saying she watched the Golden Globe Awards from her
hotel. Shortly after Warne boarded the plane for home,
she tweeted: "A great weekend. Best in a long,
long time." We think congratulations may be in
order for Warnie's speculative "innings"
across the water. Yeah Warnie keep row row rowing
the boat, life might be such a breze. May the good
fortune of Warnie rub off on you and may every hand
and women bring you a champion result. Warnie is not
only a solid poker players, but is a face of Crown
Poker, and also a keen golf player. It's not known
if he has scored a hole in one, but he sure knows
how to play them birdies. You know what we mean.

Australia's
largest poker machine operator has
warned against over-regulation of the industry, arguing
it will push people to other forms of gambling. The
Australian Leisure and Hospitality (ALH) Group, currently
75% per cent owned by Woolworths - has told a federal
parliamentary inquiry that it will be impossible to
wipe out problem gambling. The company's spokesman,
David Curry, says cracking down on one form of gambling
will only encourage people to try other things. "There
is a wide internet opportunity out there for people.
If you over-regulate one part of the business, then
people will simply shift and that would be the unintended
consequence." ALH described regulation of gambling
in Australia as "highly politicised". Curry
also warned over-regulation could make the product
no longer attractive to recreational players. Already
media and gaming insiders point to traditional punters
flocking to entertainment, news and gambling related
website portals for news, information, tips and game
reviews, and the like where punters can then elect
to play for free or play for money. Already many traditional
news companies as well as new media companies in Australia
and New Zealand are starting to dedicate large sections
of their website, newspapers and magazines to cover
gaming and gambling. A leak advised that even News
Limited and Fairfax Media (The Sydney Morning Herald
and The Age) even have in-house - in-website gambling
and sports betting odds, and strong coverage of the
poker and casino industry. One thing is for sure,
the battle between gambling and gaming lovers VS haters
continues at fever pitch, with a number of politicians
being very outspoken about the industry. It's also
very big and serious news, and the news media has
picked up the ball and continues to run hard with
it. The so called "Independent" Senator
Nick Xenophon doesn't agree with much information
spoken from the pro gambling sector, including the
clubs and manufactures. He says the ALH does not understand
the problem at hand! Maybe they don't want to understand,
or is is 'Mr X' (satire) doesn't want to understand?
"This shows either a wilful ignorance or a disingenuousness.
"What Woolworths is in effect saying here, through
its subsidiary ALH, is that they don't want a level
of regulation that will tackle problem gambling effectively.
The solution to the risks posed by online gambling
is to properly deal with that."

Perth
- Western Australia - Kambalda Lotto Player Strikes
Gold...

The
Goldfields town of Kambalda is in the grip of lotto
fever after a local newsagency sold one of two division
one winning tickets in Saturday night's draw. The
$700,000 prize is the state's first division one win
for 2011, the second winning ticket was sold in Perth.
Susan Schoch from Kambalda's Good News Newsagency
says there has been a steady stream of hopeful locals
checking their tickets. "Well the town's buzzing.
They're all racing in to check their tickets to see
if they're the winner or not," she said. "Someone
else has just walked in the door, no they're very
excited, something that we really needed I think."

Australian
Internet Gambling Would Do Well To Get Regulation;
Laws Fallen Behind Reality Says Legal Eagles...

The
Australian Productivity Commission report released
last year shows online gambling is rising rapidly,
and shows no sign of slowing down. The report estimates
the "unofficial" online poker and casino
industry could be worth as much as $800 million. Dr
Sally Gainsbury, a leading researcher in online gambling
in Australia, says it is rising about 10% to 20% each
year, while the Nielsen Internet and Technology Report
found about 30% of Aussies aged over 16 have gambled
online. Research also shows that people betting online
are becoming problem gamblers to a greater extent
than those using land-based venues. "Twenty per
cent of people who are gambling online at the moment
are in the category of problem gambler," Gambling
Help Network chairman Derek Tuffield said. "For
people who are land-based gamblers, it's about 1%
- so it's a very big difference. "I still think
it's a major issue for the Australian Government to
look at. It has limited legislation which sits with
it at the moment, but the fact that it's so accessible
and easy to do, I think we're going to see that climb
at a faster rate than land-based gambling." Jamie
Nettleton, a legal eagle who has even done work for
Media Man Int, a senior counsel specialising in gambling
law and marketing - b2b , advises the Government's
prohibitionary stance means Australia has fallen behind
in the regulation of online gaming. "There's
no doubt that at the time this law (against online
gaming) came into place, Australia was a world leader
in connection to online gambling operations and the
rest of the world looked to Australia as a leader,"
he said. "Australia is now perceived to be a
pariah in connection with online gaming operations.
That could be viewed favourably on the basis that
Australia has taken a very strict approach in respect
of the regulation of gambling, but the difficulty
is the prohibition just isn't working in practice."
Dr Gainsbury agrees the Federal Government has not
kept up with the growing online gaming industry. "Australia
was initially a real forerunner in terms of regulation
for internet gambling in the late 1990s, but then
when the Interactive Gaming Act was introduced in
2001, regulation just stopped, policy just stopped
- a prohibitionary stance and nothing's happened since
then," she said. "Internet gambling is very
dynamic and it's moved and changed and participation
has increased, so it is suggested that this prohibitionary
stance might be outdated and more up-to-date regulation
is needed to deal appropriately with online gambling
in Australia."

A
Media Man Int
spokesperson agreed with the legal eagle. "We
agree with many aspects of what our legal friend Jamie
Nettleton says in regards to internet gaming and gambling.
We are global running many .coms, .nets and .orgs.
We cover over a dozen different business sectors,
gaming and gambling is just one of them. We report
the news. We also participate in dozens of affiliate
programmes, these days only keeping the best, and
we also help put together media, publicity, online
and event campaigns. Gambling and gaming is big news.
We are not a casino or an adult company. We just cover
the sector sometimes and its news, and sometimes showcase
different brands. b2b is very popular on the internet.
News Limited, Fairfax Media, IGN, Marvel Entertainment
and a swag of other companies are big into b2g. Gaming
and gambling appears to work better in the b2b - website
to website sector better than many other sectors.
Travel, magazines, books and burlesque work well too,
but gaming seems to be number one at the moment".

NRL
Sports Betting Scandal Update...

Mr
Ryan Tandy and Brad Murray are of great interest to
the NSW Crime Commission hearing as police get ready
to blow the lid on it, after a major investigation.
The players will front up to the commission this week
to be probed about the "irregular betting patterns"
on the Canterbury Bulldogs VS North Queensland Cowboys
game last August. Those summoned must truthfully answer
all questions or will risk going to the can - jail!
Police will decide whether to pass information over
to the NRL. Police have interviewed more than 80 people
after a massive amount of money backed North Queensland
to open the scoring via a penalty goal in the round
24 match at Dairy Farmers Stadium. The Cowboys had
a opp to do just that after Bulldogs forward Tandy
made two mistakes. There were a sloppy play-the-ball
and a penalty for not getting off a tackled player
quickly enough. However, Cowboys utility Anthony Watts
took a quick tap that led to a try and the alleged
sting backfired, if you follow. Tandy has denied intentionally
giving away a penalty. How do you prove intentionally
giving the other team a break. Some things are hard
to prove. The betting surge happened just over a month
after Canterbury players attended a seminar on the
dangers of gambling. "We've made it clear from
the outset that we have co-operated at every opportunity
with the NRL and the police," Todd Greenberg,
Canterbury's chief executive, said. "We're hoping
to have the matter resolved as soon as possible, certainly
prior to the start of the season." Tandy is contracted
to the Bulldogs until the end of 2012. At this time
we're not sure if it is "watertight" in
nature. A police rep said the investigations were
continuing. Last month police issued a photograph
of a person of interest, later identified as Murray.
The 20-year-old halfback, who placed a bet in a Flemington
hotel in Sydney's west, joined Parramatta in the off
season after a stint with the Sydney Roosters. The
Doggies and Eels are awaiting the outcome of the police
investigation before deciding their players' futures.
Tandy, Murray and Watts are all managed by Sam Ayoub,
who placed a bet on the Cowboys penalty goal option.
It is legal for player agents to wager on matches
and Ayoub has denied any wrongdoing. It was Fairfax
Media who got the scoop on the story re the betting
plunge back on August 27, which triggered a meeting
of police, the NRL and Australian Jockey Club chief
steward Ray Murrihy. Several betting agencies, including
TAB Sportsbet, suspended betting on the first-scoring-play
option after a deluge of money. Centrebet media representative
Neil Evans said his agency's odds on a Cowboys penalty
goal were cut from $13 to $3 after the plunge, which
came from three Sydney clients. The link between gambling
and rugby league was highlighted during the week when
the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that Penrith are
to rename their home ground Centrebet Stadium, the
story hitting numbers entertainment, sports and gambling
websites around the world, with it being a strong
point of interest at the American Gambling911 website
portal. The move has angered the anti-gambling movement.
South Australian senator Nick Xenophon has claimed
gambling is "ruining the game. 'Mr X' (satire)
is not expect to back any Betfair Pink Pigeons are
care about NRL, AFL or UFC betting odds, nore does
he play online casino games. He is sometimes listed
an "Independent Senator', but his views often
come across an bias and just trying to push his own
agenda. He's currently in a media war and war of world
with Australian clubs, ClubsNSW and ClubsAustralia,
and shows no sign of quitting - at the time of publication.
Australia's are some of the world's most passionate
punters and are currently placed in the world's top
ten for gambling.

Gambling
And Media King James Packer; Becoming Property King
Of Sydney...

James
Packer is building a space age type home - mansion
- bunker, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. He even ordered
demolition of two neighbouring mansions. Vaucluse
will never be the same again. Now earth-moving equipment
has moved in. By the time the job is finished in about
18 months time, the pad will have cost 'Our James'
in the region of $50 million. It was circa June 2009
he invested A$18 million on a 6-bedroom 1970s mansion,
later snatching up two neighbouring pads for more
than A$12 million. His estate is massive and is understood
to cover 3345sq m of prime real estate. Packer engaged
the services of architect Alec Tzannes to design the
new extensions, the same bloke responsible for the
Point Piper pad owned by property and financial services
king John Symond. It's understood the the who family
is really looking forward to moving into the palace
with toys, treats and fun for kids all all ages. Wife
Erica Packer and the happy couple's children, Indigo
and Jackson, are really looking forward to giant swimming
pool. Yep, the Packer's continue to make waves in
the Aussie media, entertainment and lifestyle sector.
A Media Man
spokesperson said 'The Packers are really doing it
in style. It goes to show you want hard work and smart
work can do for a person. It's pretty inspirational,
considering what he bounced back from a couple of
years ago. As is often the case, James Packer has
the last laugh". Packer is expect to sometime
show up at the Melbourne Aussie Millions to say G'day
on site at his Crown Casino down south in Melbourne.
Yep, Packer is on a roll, with no signs of slowing
down.

With
Australia being in the world's top 10 gambling nations,
it shouldn't shock or surprise that we're tipped to
soon have a number of sporting arenas and grounds
named after gambling and gaming companies, both national
and international brands. Yep, money will talk where
B.S sometimes walks. James Packer's Betfair is understood
to build upon their Betfair Park branding, Europe's
PartyGaming is keen, and currently Centrebet looks
to be leading the charge, with many insiders saying
its a case of when, not if, for the household name
brand. Centrebet already has significant branding,
thanks in part to a swag of TV and online adverts,
plus who can forget the Centrebet branded part of
Network Nine's 'The Footy Show'. The gambling companies
already have a number of key targets, and many cash
strapped and / or cash handy NRL team and home grounds
are near the top of the hit list. For instance NRL
team, The Penrith Panthers, are seriously considering
having their home stadium named Centrebet Stadium.
We kid you not punters. If the deal goes through,
they will make history becoming the first major Australian
sporting team to snatch a betting firm as the naming-rights
partner for a playing venue. Horse Racing already
has some naming rights deals with tracks and in the
mix such as Betfair Park and then you have races named
after gambling brands such as the Lasseters Cup, Lasseters
known for its hotel - casino up in Australia's top
end. The forecast Betfair deal comes as a police continue
to probe the NRL gambling scandal that from last season
following a number of "irregular" wagers
was picked up in the Canterbury Bulldogs VS North
Queensland Cowboys match up. The Panthers, Centrebet
and a swag of gambling companies, have rather pissed
off the gambling and gaming haters, who continues
to get organised into lobby groups. A Media Man spokesperson
such "Many people in and out of news media and
gaming, the general public, are starting to get really
pissed off at the gaming, gambling and sports betting
haters. The bible bashers. Who do they think they
are trying to push their beliefs onto others. Many
Australians just love a punt, and that's the way it
is. Some of the gaming haters have strong ties to
church groups and there appears to be some sort of
brainwashing system going on. They keep discussing
the 'evils of gambling'. I mean, seriously, come on.
People know not to over-do it on on the slots, sports
events, poker and the like, but the haters keep trying
to be the thought police. Gambling companies in Australia
have a very high focus on responsible gambling with
warnings everywhere. It's great to see the gambling
and gaming industry place so much focus on safe better.
The sports stadiums will be great for business, ,
but no one is forcing anyone to have a bet. It's a
personal decision, as it always has been. 2011 is
going to be a very exciting year for punters, especially
those who like to have a bet of sports matches, and
television and online website portals and brands will
bring it all together nicely". Ric Simpson, Panthers
Group chief exec since last July, said a culture change
and "renewal of process" across Panthers
clubs had improved their situation. Analysts question
that was a PR line or absolute truth. Mind you, we
don't blame club for trying to focus on positives.
"We're probably looking at reducing that loss
by somewhere in the order of $8-$9 million,"
Simpson said. A Media Man spokesperson said "At
this stage of the gaming the overseas trend of seeing
sports groups and football teams pick up sponsorship
and strong branding for gambling, gaming... sports
betting companies looks to be moving full speed ahead
down under in Australia. Centrebet might become the
Bwin of Australia. PartyGaming is said to be currently
crunching numbers to see if an Australian sports ground
deal is viable. They already have a Aussie Millions
former champion sponsored by their poker brand and
a couple of Aussie poker players signed up, so anything
is possible. James Packer's Betfair, a direct competitor
of Centrebet is not likely to take the situation lying
down either. Betfair is 50% Packer owned and wants
to keep building their sports betting brand, as well
as opening up many online casino games in Australia,
poker and more. Could an Australian sports stadium
ever be known as PartyGaming stadium or WPT Stadium?
Not overnight, but never say never, stranger things
have happened. It's all going to add a lot of money
into the game and business of sport and entertainment,
and already our firm is starting to experience some
positive spin off benefits. It's all very exciting
and profitable".

Shane
Warne; Cricket Great And Poker Celeb Wants To Help
Australian Flood Disaster Efforts; Warnie Birth's
A Non Hair Brained Idea And Hits The Phones...

Aussie
cricket test legend Shane Warne has been hitting the
phones to his entertainment, media and sports world
friends and associates, wishing to support plans for
a cricketing 'Big Day Out' that may raise as much
as $20 million bucks for those effected in the Australian
floods, primarily effecting Queensland banana benders.
The news of the Queensland's flood disaster journeyed
across to Britain... Pommie Land, and ex fast bowler
Darren Gough expressed his significant interest in
playing in a Legends Charity Twenty20 match at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground later this month. Warnie
once again took to Twitter like a duck to water and
basically offered his services to an Australian Legends
team that may also include Glenn 'Ow Ah' McGrath,
Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Haydenand Darren Lehmann.
The Pommie team would be almost certainly captained
by Michael Vaughan, with Gough and former Test all-rounder
Adam Hollioake also confirming their availability
less than 48 hours ago. Warnie then contacted Network
Nine boss David 'Gyng' Gyngell and event promoter
Michael Gudinski to ensure maximum exposure and benefits
for the proposed event. Warne was also involved in
talks with Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland.
Cricket Australia could ratify an Australia-England
Legends Twenty20 showdown within days, with Warnie
hoping Gudinski can transform the day into a cricketing
festival by presiding over a post-match concert. Australia
does have a solid track record for raising big bucks
when the right group of people from entertainment,
media, sports and business are brought together. Cricket's
last charity match, for Victoria's Black Saturday
bushfire victims back in 2009, raised more than $20
million. James Packer's Crown Limited and The Salvation
Army also helped raise towards a million dollars for
the bushfire appeals. As a nation Aussies from many
walks of life are able to bond together when the going
gets tough, with Mother Nature hitting the Aussies
for six and then some over the past week. The proposed
fundraiser could be staged before the England-Australia
one-day international on January 30 for example. A
Cricket Australia spokesman was able to confirm planning
for the Legends match was under way and offered "It's
early but we're looking at co-ordinating a Legends
match. We're still to nut out details but James Sutherland
had has a chat to Shane (Warne)," the spokesman
said. "There will be a series of things leading
up to that match that we're going to be doing. We
think the Legends match is a great idea so we're working
out ways to benefit from that enthusiasm for the people
of Queensland. All funds will be going straight to
the Queensland Premier's Fund appeal."

Michael
Clarke and Phillip Hughes made a "supreme error
of judgment" in attending functions on the morning
of Ashes Tests, according to Cricket Australia's chief
executive James Sutherland. The Age reported that
the pair attended a Shane Warne Foundation breakfast
on Boxing Day, and they were interviewed at 7.30am
at Melbourne's Crown Casino, before returning to the
team hotel. When the match started three hours later,
Hughes slashed to gully for 16 and Clarke wafted outside
his off stump to be caught behind for 20. It was all
part of Australia's horror innings of 98 after they
were sent in by Andrew Strauss, and with the series
at 1-1, that morning was a turning point from which
the Australians never recovered. Clarke also reportedly
attended breakfast functions during the Sydney Test,
where he was captain the absence of the injured Ricky
Ponting. Sutherland, speaking on the Melbourne radio
station 3AW, said it was not a wise move for the players
to be involved in such events on the morning of a
Test. "That was a supreme error of judgment on
their part," Sutherland said. "The players
decided that of their own will. I would be surprised
if we see that happening again. You don't leave yourself
open to the chance of criticism. As a professional
footballer, you would never do that." Sutherland
also said it was "unfortunate" that the
chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, had said publicly
after the 3-1 series drubbing that he felt his panel
had done a good job. The selectors made some odd decisions,
including axing Nathan Hauritz and playing Xavier
Doherty and Michael Beer, who took a combined tally
4 for 418. "Andrew's comments were unfortunate,
and I think what he was trying to say was the selectors
had tried their hardest," Sutherland said. Everyone
involved needs to take responsibility for what was
a very disappointing performance."

Marvel
Slots Maintain Popularity With Australians; More Brands
Get Marvel In Fit For Asia Pacific Domination...

Stan
Lee's Marvel Comics - Entertainment branded slots
have been a big hit since going live into a number
of the world's online casinos over a year ago. PartyGaming's
PartyCasino
a favorite with Aussies has hinted that Marvel slot
games played a bit part of their success in Australia.
Virgin got the slots, but Aussies can't play at Virgin.
Perhaps smartly both PKR
Casino and Winner Casino has picked up on this
fact and is now offering the Marvel slot games to
the Asia Pacific region, with Australia's adopting
them like a duck to water. A Media
Man spokesperson said "Australians just love
the Marvel Comics and Marvel Entertainment brands.
You just have to look at the popularity of the Marvel
blockbuster movies that hit the movie theatres a few
times a year. When the Marvel games hit the internet
we noticed a spike in numbers, and its been strong
ever since. The Winner and PKR brands have smartly
worked out that adding Marvel slots to their portfolio
should be very good for business. The games can be
played for free and played for money, a concept that
Australia's have found very appealing. As Stan Lee
says, Excelsior!"

Canberra
Pubs And Clubs To Be Hit Hard By New Gaming, Gambling
Laws; Job Losses Expected...

Canberra
based clubs and hotels are facing down the barrel
of a gun at a $51million cut to revenue, the result
of amendments to national gambling laws, with smaller
venues at great risk of becoming history in the battle
against poker machines, according to Clubs ACT and
local publicans. 11 hotels run 70 of the 5014 gaming
machines in the ACT. Moby Dick's Tavern publican Darcy
Henry said he would be forced to give up his two gaming
machines if new anti-gambling reforms were passed.
The new laws, promised to Tasmanian Independent MP
Andrew Wilkie in return for support for the minority
Labor Government, will force gamblers to pre-commit
to a spending limit on their gambling. The technology
would link up 200,000 poker machines across Australia
to stop gamblers moving from machine to machine if
their self-imposed limit had been reached. But licensed
clubs have reacted angrily to the proposal. In its
submission to the 2011-12 ACT Government budget, Clubs
ACT claimed the changes would cost the national industry
$4billion annually a 30% decrease. "In the ACT,
that would equate to a $51.8million cut in revenue
to clubs, with the tax revenue to the ACT Government
falling by approximately $11million," the submission
said. Clubs ACT estimated it would cost $3000 to retrofit
each of the 5014 machines operating in the ACT with
the new technology. Maintenance on the system was
expected to cost a further $1billion a year nationwide.

Take
the time to research and learn games before placing
down money

Media
Man http://www.mediamanint.com,
Casino News Media and Gambling911 are website portals.
Not casinos as such, however are recognised as world
leading websites that cover the sector and act as
central points to games, news, reviews and more.

News

Australia
To Get Sports Stadiums Branded By Gambling and Gaming
Companies, by Greg Tingle - 15th January 2011

G'day
punters, journos, high rollers, sports news, entertainment
news junkies, politicians, insiders, outsiders...
one and all. Today we probe the situation where a
number of Australian sports grounds could soon be
named after gaming and gambling companies. How do
like the sound of Betfair Stadium, Centrebet Park
and PartyGaming Cricket Ground? Don't laugh, this
type of scenario is on the cards, with local gaming
brands likely the first to pounce, followed by international
powerhouses. Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com
and Gambling911 with another ground breaking news
report from the land of world class casino, media
companies and sports arenas...

Australia
Will Get Gambling Arenas; Aussie Aussie Aussie; Oi
Oi Oi...

With
Australia being in the world's top 10 gambling nations,
it shouldn't shock or surprise that we're tipped to
soon have a number of sporting arenas and grounds
named after gambling and gaming companies, both national
and international brands. Yep, money will talk where
B.S sometimes walks.

James
Packer's Betfair is understood to build upon their
Betfair Park branding, Europe's PartyGaming is keen,
and currently Centrebet looks to be leading the charge,
with many insiders saying its a case of when, not
if, for the household name brand.

Centrebet
already has significant branding, thanks in part to
a swag of TV and online adverts, plus who can forget
the Centrebet branded part of Network Nine's 'The
Footy Show'.

The
gambling companies already have a number of key targets,
and many cash strapped and / or cash handy NRL team
and home grounds are near the top of the hit list.

For
instance NRL team, The Penrith Panthers, are seriously
considering having their home stadium named Centrebet
Stadium. We kid you not punters.

If
the deal goes through, they will make history becoming
the first major Australian sporting team to snatch
a betting firm as the naming-rights partner for a
playing venue.

Horse
Racing already has some naming rights deals with tracks
and in the mix such as Betfair Park and then you have
races named after gambling brands such as the Lasseters
Cup, Lasseters known for its hotel - casino up in
Australia's top end.

The
forecast Betfair deal comes as a police continue to
probe the NRL gambling scandal that from last season
following a number of "irregular" wagers
was picked up in the Canterbury Bulldogs VS North
Queensland Cowboys match up.

The
Panthers, Centrebet and a swag of gambling companies,
have rather pissed off the gambling and gaming haters,
who continues to get organised into lobby groups.

A
Media Man
spokesperson such "Many people in and out of
news media and gaming, the general public, are starting
to get really pissed off at the gaming, gambling and
sports betting haters. The bible bashers. Who do they
think they are trying to push their beliefs onto others.
Many Australians just love a punt, and that's the
way it is. Some of the gaming haters have strong ties
to church groups and there appears to be some sort
of brainwashing system going on. They keep discussing
the 'evils of gambling'. I mean, seriously, come on.
People know not to over-do it on on the slots, sports
events, poker and the like, but the haters keep trying
to be the thought police. Gambling companies in Australia
have a very high focus on responsible gambling with
warnings everywhere. It's great to see the gambling
and gaming industry place so much focus on safe better.
The sports stadiums will be great for business, ,
but no one is forcing anyone to have a bet. It's a
personal decision, as it always has been. 2011 is
going to be a very exciting year for punters, especially
those who like to have a bet of sports matches, and
television and online website portals and brands will
bring it all together nicely".

Back
to the first prime target #1...The modest 22,500-capacity
sports ground, owned by Penrith City Council, was
in a past life known as CUA Stadium. What's up is
that the club's contract with the Brisbane financial
services company has expired, and negotiations between
Panthers, the footy club and Centrebet have been taking
place, even prior to Christmas about renaming the
stadium. Other clubs and stadiums have also caught
the buzz and are opening chequebooks and crunching
the numbers.

The
first of its kind business agreement between the club
and Centrebet is just about a done deal, and ink is
expecting to try on contracts sooner rather than later,
possibly within a fortnight. An exciting, if not controversial
type of announcement is fully expected by the Panthers
in the coming week. Sports and gambling commentators
are quick to point out that Penrith already has ties
to Centrebet, the gambling brand being lit up across
the top of the video screen at the stadium. This kind
of exposure has also been very good for their mobile
- hand held device sector.

Anti-gambling
campaigner Senator Nick Xenophon is especially unhappy
with the development of the gambling branded sports
stadiums in Australia. He went on recent with:

"How
can a footy code currently embroiled in a betting
scandal possibly allow a stadium to be named after
a betting agency? There was a time when rugby league
was all about the game. Now it's all about the odds,
and that is ruining the game".

Over
the last couple of years the NRL (and AFL) has watered
down its laws and regulations relating to clubs' deals
and partnerships with gambling - sports betting firms,
allowing them to be branded on footy jerseys for a
virgin time. Cronulla Sharks have sponsor PokerStars
(.net) on their jersey sleeves while cashed up Manly
Sea Eagles are tipped to have Centrebet's signage
on the back of their jerseys this season after a widely
reported $1 million plus deal with the Northern Territory
based betting outfit announced just before Christmas.
Yep, it looks like a few clubs and stadiums will be
getting their Christmas presents and will have lots
to celebrate, while the gambling haters will be spewing
in Grinch like fashion.

The
National Rugby League of course also has corporate
ties with TAB Sportsbet, and is understood to snatch
a 5% "product fee" via the company's rugby
league betting profit.

NRL
spokesman John Brady advised he would not comment
on individual clubs' sponsorship agreements but maintained
there was no concern about the prospect of gambling
agencies assuming naming rights for the game's venues,
at least from his take on the situation.

"It's
an area that was relaxed last year. As such there
are a number of betting sponsorships that are available
to clubs in terms of jerseys and other opportunities,"
Brady said.

He
advised any and all betting firms involved with the
NRL via sponsorship of clubs were made to sign "integrity
agreements" to ensure transparency.

The
majority of NRL clubs now have corporate deals with
betting agencies. Centrebet sponsors five teams: Penrith,
Manly, Parramatta, St George Illawarra and North Queensland.
"Comon' Betfair and PartyGaming, pull you're
finger out", a Media Man sports journalist was
overheard shouting when he found out the news of Centrebet's
ongoing infiltration of the sport.

Penrith's
stadium pending name change has been intertwined we
understand by some to the financial problems that
have hit the football club's parent body, Panthers
Group.

The
licensed club is no longer quite the licence to print
money as it was in the 90s Some audited figures about
to do public by the conclusion of the month are expected
to show black and white confirmation of a Murdoch
- News Limited news story of last February that said
Panthers were due to report a rather embarrassing
net loss of $11 million bucks.

Panthers
are not afraid to speak on the record about their
on and off field performance, which has seen better
days.

Ric
Simpson, Panthers Group chief exec since last July,
said a culture change and "renewal of process"
across Panthers clubs had improved their situation.
Analysts question that was a PR line or absolute truth.
Mind you, we don't blame club for trying to focus
on positives. "We're probably looking at reducing
that loss by somewhere in the order of $8-$9 million,"
Simpson said.

A
Media Man
spokesperson said "At this stage of the gaming
the overseas trend of seeing sports groups and football
teams pick up sponsorship and strong branding for
gambling, gaming... sports betting companies looks
to be moving full speed ahead down under in Australia.
Centrebet might become the Bwin of Australia. PartyGaming
is said to be currently crunching numbers to see if
an Australian sports ground deal is viable. They already
have a Aussie Millions former champion sponsored by
their poker brand and a couple of Aussie poker players
signed up, so anything is possible. James Packer's
Betfair, a direct competitor of Centrebet is not likely
to take the situation lying down either. Betfair is
50% Packer owned and wants to keep building their
sports betting brand, as well as opening up many online
casino games in Australia, poker and more. Could an
Australian sports stadium ever be known as PartyGaming
stadium or WPT Stadium? Not overnight, but never say
never, stranger things have happened. It's all going
to add a lot of money into the game and business of
sport and entertainment, and already our firm is starting
to experience some positive spin off benefits. It's
all very exciting and profitable".

News

Australian
Pokie And News Media Wars, by Greg Tingle - 14th January
2011

G'day
punters, journos, high rollers, politicians, insiders,
outsiders... one and all. The battle for your hearts,
minds, wallets and purses continue as Australian gambling
and media companies continue to pull out all the stops
in order to achieve market domination, or is it world
domination? There's something for everyone here, be
it casino lovers, haters, media tarts or other. Media
Man and Gambling911
with rip snorter of a news roundup for you from the
land of Kangaroos, Koalas, convicts and all manner
of critters...

Tennis
babe Maria Sharapova commenced the Australian Open
Tennis in red hot fashion 2 nights ago the world's
hottest and sexiest players landed in Melbourne, home
of Australia's original TV 'Underbelly'. The babe
of the moment showed off a sparkling engagement ring
and smile. This particular Russian babe has taken
quite a liking to down under and was more than happy
to show off quite a bit of leg, but only a slight
bit of cleavage in her new range of tennis gear showcased
at a Crown casino media and PR gig. Sharapova's lucky
boyfriend, Los Angeles Lakers basketballer Sasha Vujacic,
popped the big and brave question to the tennis babe
last red October. Her competitors did not seem to
be bothered by Sharapova's "media darling"
statue or expectational good looks. World #1 Rafael
Nadal stripped down during a relaxed practice session
on centre court and Ana Ivanovic strutted her stuff
on an outside court. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray
enjoyed a soccer workout with Melbourne Victory players
at AAMI Park. Oh, weather was also a concern, with
all the floods that hit Queensland, tipped to also
catch part of Victoria. Tourney director Craig Tiley
declared the Open weather-proof. "We have two
roofs we can close. We also have five indoor courts,
so for us rain is - unlike the US Open - easier to
deal with. If we are thrown more challenges with the
elements we will be able to do what we need to. We
have those plans in place to help in terms of scheduling."
Isolated showers across southern Victoria could affect
the first few days of the event, which starts on Monday.
The first week of last year's open was relatively
mild but the mercury rose to the mid-30s by the second
week of play. In 2009, tennis stars endured scorching
conditions with at least three consecutive days above
43C. Paramedics had their work cut out with more than
100 spectators treated for heat exhausting or sunburn.
Tiley said major redevelopment work at Melbourne Park
would not get in the way of this year's Open. More
than 600,000 spectators are expected to flood the
Grand Slam venue over two weeks. Insiders reckon the
latest range of Tennis babes cum Casino babes, are
bound to raise temperates in more ways that one. Feel
the heat.

Sin
City Sydney - Star City Soccer Fans Ralley...

Sydney
FC CEO Edwin Lugt has urged more interaction with
supporters across the country after the successful
staging of a fan forum in Sydney last night. Lugt
spoke at a fan forum organised by Footy Fans Downunder
held at Sydneys Star City Casino Sports Theatre
Bar. The forum which will head to Melbourne next month
discussed a wide range of topics with fans being given
the floor to ask any questions of the panel. Passionate
debate and some lively ideas were discussed in front
of almost 200 fans. The night also served as a fund-raiser
for the Queensland flood tragedy. But as a forum for
ideas, it was also a useful exercise, said Lugt. "The
fact that we have this (fan forum) means the game
is getting serious. Its maturing". It's
understood a few of the fans tried their luck on the
pokies and roulette after the forum, some winning,
some loosing, and others breaking even. The event
was a win - win for both Star City, the fans and soccer
big wigs.

The
South Australian based Senator Nick Xenaphon aka 'Mr
X's in gambling and media circles, has basically accused
Clubs New South Wales of resisting moves to implement
new gambling legislation. Senator Xenaphon has backed
anti-pokies campaigner Paul Bendat who has took it
upon himself to place a full newspaper in the Illawarra
Mercury, and is considering doing more. One of his
targets is Clubs New South Wales chairman and former
Mercury editor Peter Newell. Bendat has been threatened
with legal action over the ads. Yep, its getting personal
and legal. Senator Xenaphon says the ad calls on Newell
to direct his members to "tell the truth"
about the Federal Government's mandatory pre-commitment
plans for poker machines. "When you consider
that literally billions of dollars are lost each year
by problem gamblers in this country and that could
be avoidable, it could be substantially reduced by
a sensible system of pre-commitment. "Then the
club's propaganda on this whole issue in terms of
how expensive it will be and how impractical it will
be, these things need to be exposed." A spokesman
for Clubs New South Wales says an earlier advertisement
had implied Newell had been untruthful and the ad
was overly personal. Joke for readers... How do you
know when a politician is lying? Answer: When their
lips are moving!

Australia's
biggest, best and richest poker tournament has just
got on the way. Aussie Millions commenced at James
Packers' Crown Casino in beautiful Melbourne, home
to the original 'Underbelly' TV series which featured
gambling themes. We understand that the $10,600 AUD
no-limit holdem main event will snatch the attention
of the poker players and commentators when it fires
off on January 23rd. An deep field of 746 punters
participated in the 2010 main event, with our own
Tyron Krost being crowned champion, picking up $2
million, and soon after being signed u by PartyGaming's
PartyPoker. Many other players (and brands) and keen
to knock him off as you might expect. The field is
expected to be one of the greatest ever, if not the
best. High-stakes events include the $100,000 Challenge
that commences on January 22, as well as the Aussie
Millions high stakes cash game featuring a $200,000
minimum buy-in on Jan 24th. Last year the $100,000
Challenge attracted 24 players for a prize pool of
$2.4 million, and it was Dan Shak who bested Phil
Ivey heads up to earn a cool $1.2 million. Other substantial
buy-in events this year include the $10,500 Australia
no-limit holdem heads-up championship and a
$10,500 eight-game mixed event. Stay glued to this
dial for more coverage, and don't be surprised if
Fox Sports and or / ESPN give it a bit of TV coverage.
Poker is big business in Australia and around the
world, and media companies are keen to cash in too.
Good luck to all players, and on James Packer for
your commitment to the "sport".

Aussie
Millions Media Run Down...

The
Aussie Millions Poker Championship is the largest,
richest and most prestigious gaming event in the Southern
Hemisphere and ranked fifth largest in the world.
Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in
every major poker variation, the Aussie Millions is
poker's longest running tournament in the Southern
Hemisphere, dating back to 1998.

Facts

-
The Aussie Millions Poker Championship is held each
January at Crown Casino, in Melbourne Australia
- The Aussie Millions ranks as the fifth largest poker
tournament in the world by player number
- The championship includes over 20 tournaments culminating
in the coveted AUD$10,600 No Limit Holdem Main
Event' on Sunday 23 January for Day 1 - Flight 1 (Mon
24 Flight 2, Tues 25 Flight 3 with Day 2 starting
on Wednesday 26 January 2011)
- The 2011 Aussie Millions is expected to reach a
prize pool of almost AUD$20 million with an expected
first prize of AUD$2 million for the AUD$10,600 No
Limit Holdem Main Event'
- Over 2,500 individual entrants will participant
and more than 600 international visitors are expected
to attend including players from the United States,
England, Ireland, South Africa, Scandinavia, Canada,
Israel, Estonia, Portugal and Russia
- The Aussie Millions generated approximately 8,000
room nights across Melbourne in January 2010, including
over 5,000 at Crown alone
- The 2010 Aussie Millions held the largest, cash
buy in tournament ever with a $100,500 event attracting
30 players
- It is expected that there will be almost 900 individual
players in the $10,600 Buy-In No Limit Holdem Main
Event'
What is being billed as the biggest game ever played,
the Million Dollar Cash Game' will see 10 of
the greatest and most influential poker players of
all-time stake a minimum of AUD$1 million to play.
However, players can (and will) bring more than a
mere million dollars to the table!

IMG
Tennis Party: Tennis And Poker Celebs - Sunday 16th
January

See
some of the world's greatest tennis stars including
David Nalbandian, Donald Young, Feliciano Lopez, James
Blake, Marcos Baghdatis, Maria Sharapova, Marion Bartoli,
Mark Knowles, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Venus
Williams. Along with some of the world's greatest
poker players in town for the Aussie Millions Poker
Championship including 2005 WSOP Champion and Crown
Ambassador Joe Hachem, Team Full Tilt pro's Phil Ivey,
Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, John Juanda etc. This
exclusive gathering of world class tennis pro's and
entertainment industry heavy weights will make this
event one of the best parties of 2011. Crown's IMG
Tennis Players Party has become one of the most high
profile events of the year. Held on the eve of the
Australian Open, the party is also a regular meeting
spot for IMG's star players who are staying at Crown.

$100,000
No Limit Holdem Challenge will be for those with deep
pockets! Look out for some high profile players with
wallets in hand, looking for some wild action including
the Phil Ivey and 2007 Aussie Millions Champion Gus
Hansen. Up to 30 of the most prestigious and high
profile poker players in the world will descend upon
the Crown Poker Room for this event. Some of the world's
greatest poker players heading the list include; Alexander
Kostritsyn, Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel,
Gus Hansen, Howard Lederer, Ivan Demidov, Jeff Lisandro,
John Juanda, Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan,
Tong G and Tony Bloom *Total Cost (Buy-In + Entry
Fee) $100,500 ($100,000 +$500). *Special thanks to
Crown Casino for providing our news media with the
detailed information. We look forward to continuing
to cover the action.

Melbourne:
Gambling Research Agenda Continues At Monash University...

Researchers
from Monash University's Department of Marketing are
interviewing men and women, from a range of backgrounds
and age groups across Victoria, to find out more about
the reasons why people gamble and how it makes them
feel. Study Principal Investigator Dr Samantha Thomas
said research was usually focused on problem gamblers
with 'next to no' research being done on people who
gamble for fun or those who feel they don't have a
problem with it. "Most research is fixated on
problem gamblers and psychological and social impacts
associated with the negative aspects of gambling.
While we're not ignoring that exists we also believe
that for most people who gamble, whether it's a problem
or not, that gambling has, at some stage, been a social,
enjoyable past-time," Dr Thomas said. "At
what point does it go from being a 'bit of a harmless
flutter' to an issue that consumes their lives? At
what point do gamblers realize they have a problem
and does public messaging warning of the dangers of
gambling have any influence on their thinking or behaviour?"
Dr Thomas said public messaging and support group
programs specifically responded to problem gambling
using poker machines. "We know that people's
gambling habits are much broader than poker machines
and while the 'pokies' have been portrayed as 'evil'
and 'addictive', problem gambling is also evident
with people who bet online, through sports betting
outlets or on casino tables," Dr Thomas said.
Dr Thomas said the research involves extensive interviews
and participants will be compensated for their time.
"Learning more about why people gamble, when
they first started to gamble, and what their social
sphere is like is incredibly important in being able
to put into perspective behaviours and perceptions
of gambling." Dr Thomas said one emerging trend
in their research to date is that it appears people
who bet on sporting outcomes often do so because they
believe it requires skill and knowledge and that winning
on 'the punt' is a sign of personal achievement rather
than just financial gain. "In contrast we see
people who bet on poker machines believing more in
'personal luck' and a desire to 'beat the system'
with their goal being a financial reward. Dr Thomas
said the team was particularly interested in the experiences
of women. "Australia has high rates of gambling
in women, and we are particularly interested to how
women perceive their gambling activities," Dr
Thomas said. Dr Thomas said it was important for government
agencies, community help organisations and the industry
to be provided with information about gambling behaviours
that will contribute to shaping policy and community
responses.

A
Media Man spokesperson said of the study "Finally,
a gambling study that appears fair and balanced, and
not just an attack on the great Aussie tradition of
having a punt. They will be interviewing a wide array
of punters, not just being focused on the so called
problem gamblers, which has been quite the fodder
of media beat-ups and junk science research for well
over a year. We are not certain the gambling hating
senators of Australia will use data from this particular
study. Why? Because it looks to be honest and straight
up, and not just pandering to the Australian government,
the like way some Aussie politicians pandered to the
American government over Wikileaks. Balanced studies
on gambling in Australia are such a breath of fresh
air. I just might have a punt to celebrate the good
news".

Foxtel
Purchases ABC TV Programs; WTF...

ABC
Commercial has recently finalized contracts on more
than a dozen programs to Foxtels owned and operated
channels. The deals include the first two series of
THE LIBRARIANS (12 x 30) and all three series
of THE GRUEN TRANSFER (32 x 30), to screen on
Foxtels Comedy Channel. A further nine programs
were sold to Foxtels History Channel, including
Screen Australia documentary series KOKODA (2 x 56)
and Chinese/Australian co-production PUYI: THE LAST
CHINESE EMPEROR (2 x 52) which will be an Australian
premiere for the channel. Two documentaries, GIRLS
OWN WAR STORIES (1 x 55) and ACCENTUATE THE
POSITIVE (1 x 55) were also sold to the Bio
Channel. Our business with Foxtel continues
to grow and grow. We are very happy to be able to
provide Foxtel with some of the best Australian content
in the market, said Natalie Lawley, ABC Commercials
Sales Manager for Asia, Australia & NZ. If we
hear of more gambling or poker programing on Foxtel
or ABC, readers, we will let you know. Be on the lookout
for Aussie Millions to get a few mentions on Foxtel
- Fox Sports, as well as on the news, and ABC TV is
rumoured to do some fair and balanced coverage on
their sports reports via TV, radio and online.

Take
the time to research and learn games before placing
down money

Media
Man,Casino
News Media and Gambling911
are website portals. Not casinos as such, however
are recognised as world leading websites that cover
the sector and act as central points to games, news,
reviews and more.

Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? What's your
goss for us? Tell us in the forum.

If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Australian
And New Zealand Gambling And Entertainment News, by
Greg Tingle - 9th January 2011

Punters,
January continues to shape up as a huge news month
for both Australia and our Kiwi friends in New Zealand.
Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com
and Gambling911 with another non sheep like report
- often imitated, never duplicated, from the Pacific
to the Tasman, and all points in between...

Alcohol
laws designed with the key objective of stop drunken
violence dead on Darwin's meet streets, namely Mitchell
Street, are being rolled out to Palmerston and Alice
Springs. Drunk bastards can by law be banned for 48
hours from the 3nominated areas and will be staring
down the loaded gun barrel of a $133 on-the-spot fine,
slam bam, thank you mam. There's been 9 bans issued
since the Darwin law was introduced on October 1 of
last year, Acting Chief Minister Delia Lawrie shared
and it was "important to give police the tool
to issue on-the-spot fines and bans. It's a preventative
measure to stop people who have too much alcohol in
their system from carrying on like lunatics."
In Palmerston, the ban precinct encompasses a 1km
radius around the central business district. Mayor
Robert MacLeod supports the ban. "The ones who
are causing trouble are the ones that have to watch
out," he said. Macleod denied the law would unfairly
target itinerants and ban them from parks within Palmerston.
"If we sit back and do nothing, it stays the
same way...as leaders of the community, you have to
make decisions. If we don't try something then why
are we here?" The Alice Springs precinct boundary
is Wills and Leichhardt Tce, the golf course, Lasseter's
Hotel Casino and Stephens Rd to Telegraph Tce. Mayor
Damien Ryan is hopeful the strong arm of the law will
shift troublemakers out of the town centre. "It's
everybody's right to have an evening out without being
hassled by others who cause grief," he said.
Banned people can enter the designated area to work
but not for recreation. The NT Government plans to
introduce 48-hour precinct bans in Katherine and Tennant
Creek. Yep, we breed in tough in the "top end"
of Australia, but mongrel bastards of the drunk variety
will not be tolerated thank you.

An
insider leaked across the www "We continue to
have good success with lottery syndicate sales, even
in our small temporary location. The small A5 mini-posters
which we have stuck on the pole holding the lottery
terminal screens works a treat for us. It is terrific
seeing a customer make a purchase and decide on a
syndicate ticket as well as the items they brought
to the sales counter. It costs nothing to make the
A5 poster. In a one hour stint last week I saw four
syndicate shares sold specifically because of this
promotional placement. We change the syndicates we
promote in this location regularly. Syndicates are
also promoted at our lottery entry table (workbench)
as well as in a display behind the counter."
Ed: apparently this is pretty big news in the world
of Australian newsagents who delight at selling lottery
tickets, so don't blame us is it doesn't turn you
on!

Elvis
Presley Impersonators Coming Up For King Title At
Milwaukee Casino; Australian Look And Act Alikes In
The Mix At Casino In Next Round...

Elvis
Mania is running wild at America's Milwakee Casino,
and yep, Australians from down under at trying their
luck to be 'The King'. "Tribute to The King"
is the gig at Milwaukee's Potawatomi Bingo Casino.
You've got all sorts of Elvis want a bees. The Elvis
impersonation comp...always near Elvis Presley's birthdate
enjoys a cult-like following. 500 folks fill up the
seats for the first round of action. Elvis nuts arrive
early to snatch the prime seats of the house. After
4our days of competition in 2010, one of these great
pretenders...Matt Joyce of Arkansas...left with the
$25,001 grand prize, billed as the largest in the
world for this type of competition. Among the judges
were three of The Imperials, a group known for backing
up Elvis Presley on his albums and tours until 1971.
"I don't think enough realize what a wonderful
singer Elvis was," says Sherman, a friend of
Elvis' who joined The Imperials as lead vocalist after
their work with the music icon ended. The event began
as a look-alike contest nine years ago, then morphed
into much more. Now Elvis fans schedule a week of
vacation around the competition, says Rachel Buelow,
the theater's entertainment coordinator. Performance
videos are part of the contestant screening process.
Judges are told to notice and rate the appearance,
costume, vocals, choreography and "overall replication
of The King." Contestants supply their own background
music, props (only guitars and scarves are allowed)
and arrive ready to perform because of a lack of changing
rooms. Next week's "Tribute to The King"
contestants include Elvis impersonators from down
under in Australia and the United Kingdom. Preliminary
competitions start at noon Tuesday through Thursday
and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Admission is free,
but seats fill quickly. Tickets are $20 to $35 to
daily finals, which start at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through
Thursday and include a show by Elvis impersonators
Ryan Pelton and Matt Joyce as Double Trouble. Tickets
to Friday's grand championship, as usual, sold out
soon after going on sale in late November.

Australia's
Air Supply Soft Rock Legends To Perform At Casino
New Brunswick in Moncton...

Aussie
soft-rock band Air Supply, best known and loved for
'80s ballads like 'All Out of Love' and 'Even the
Nights Are Better', will perform at Casino New Brunswick
in Moncton on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. Yeap, we
know, love songs in a casino, but at least they are
not hate songs! Tickets for the show have only just
recently gone on sale today at the casino box office
for $29.50, which is pretty good value to see an hear
living legends. Air Supply has been doing their things
since 1975, when Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock
met while rehearsing for the musical Jesus Christ
Superstar in 'Sin City' Sydney, Australia. They started
out with one guitar and two voices, playing coffee
houses and local nightclubs, building up a reputation
for their harmonies and original songs. They got a
break with CBS Records and went on tour in Australia
and Canada with Rod Stewart. They signed with Arista
Records in 1980 and began a string of hits that pulled
on the heartstrings of listeners around the world.
Their rise to success coincided with the boom in music
videos through MTV and MuchMusic. Their biggest hits
included Lost in Love, All out of Love, Even The Nights
Are Better and Making Love Out of Nothing At All.
Air Supply was the first western group to tour the
orient - China, Taiwan and other countries that would
not allow pop music across their borders. They continue
to tour and record. The band has released a new album
called Mumbo Jumbo. Recorded at Graham Russell's home
studio in Utah and at the Odds On Records' studio
in Las Vegas with top session musicians and an orchestra,
Mumbo Jumbo was produced by Russell and engineered
by Sean O'Dwyer (Pink Floyd, Randy Newman and Blink-182).
"Because of our crazy touring schedule, Mumbo
Jumbo took three years to complete," Russell
says. "Hitchcock and I couldn't be happier with
the results. We had been releasing projects independently
for a long time. While sticking to our vow of never
making an album unless we are convinced it has numerous
potential hit singles, we also believe that we have
emerged with our best overall collection to date."
The band reckon the new album was welcome news to
millions of Airheads who were waiting for the duo's
latest work. Among them are Ozzy Osbourne (who has
attended their shows in disguise) and Al Pacino, who
recently was spotted hanging out in a dark booth in
the back of Orleans in Las Vegas, one of the duo's
regular venues. Hitchcock added, "We had 12 songs
recorded for the album, which to me seemed like plenty,
but Graham came to me with two more he wanted to record,
and I had an equally positive reaction to those. When
he said, OK, now we have everything we need, I knew
instinctively that we had a finished project. Writing
and recording new material is our lifeblood that keeps
us fresh and excited. In concert, we know we raise
eyebrows when we say we're going to start playing
new songs, but then we start and the audience realizes
how much love and care go into them. We've been around
nearly 40 years and are not only holding our own out
there but firmly believe, with albums like Mumbo Jumbo,
that our best days are still ahead of us." Air
Supply will perform at Casino New Brunswick on Thursday,
Feb. 17. Tickets for the show are $29.50 (plus tax
and applicable surcharge) and are available at the
Casino Gift Shop (located at 21 Casino Drive in Moncton,
exit #450 off the Trans-Canada Highway), by calling
1-866-9-GET-TIX/ 1-866- 943-8849. If the songs make
you feel lucky for the opposite sex, or whatever tickles
your fancy, you might want to have a flutter on casino
games also. But, remember, bet with you head, not
over it.

Port
Phillip Council will reject any and all new applications
for gambling venues as part of its new gaming policy.
Could that be a form of discrimination many political
and gaming commentators are asking. The make on the
run policy is a knee jerk response to some folks who
are concerned about the number of venues in the area.
Insiders say many bible basher, good two shoe types
are behind it. The small but vocal minority, who like
to have a whinge and a wine about all matter of things.
If you're reading, you know who you are! There are
at least count 18 TABs and 384 electronic gaming machines,
operating from 10 licensed venues within the city.
Melbourne's Crown Casino also sits just outside Port
Phillips border. Mayor Rachel Powning said the
council wanted to introduce strategies to help those
at risk of problem gambling. "It comes under
part of the social justice area of council business,"
Cr Powning said. Local agencies are under stress
in the inner-city and it is the low to middle-income
earners for which gambling is a problem here. "Along
with gambling comes depression, social isolation,
mental health issues and substance abuse." Commission
for Gambling Regulation figures show $28.2 million
was put into gaming machines in Port Phillip in 2009/2010.
The move is expected to drive forward the expansion
of illegal home poker games, gambling dens, as well
as driving more punters onto the internet sites and
games and entertainment portals.

Australian
Pokie Education And Political Format Website Portal
In War With 'The Truth'...

Here's
how it goes punters...Owing entirely to mistakes made
by the Illawarra Mercury, the Truth About Pre-Commitment
Reform was not published as contracted. Since the
time that the ad should have run, I have been accused
of actions I did not take, hung up on, indirectly
threatened with legal action by ClubsNSW (again),
and withstood suggestions to alter the advertisement
that would destroy it's core message. Provided the
Mercury make good on the commercial directors email
that states: "We are good. I will book the ad
into next weeks Mercury for Jan 11, 12 and 13. The
attached copy is the one approved to run so please
not that we will not accept any variation to this
copy without it going through the same approval process."
Readers, for more on the story and to make your own
mind up, check out
http://blog.pokieact.org/2011/01/battle-to-publish-truth-advertisement.html

Kaitaia, New Zealand; Land Of Sheep Sees 3 Lotto Wins
Born...

The
word is out - Kaitaia is lucky... or at least it just
was. 3 major prizes worth a cool combo of $654,456
grand were won in township in the span of past week.
A Lotto Strike first division ticket sold at Kaitaia
Pak'nSave won a local fella $529,456 in last Saturday's
draw, and on Wednesday, the local supermarket sold
a $100,000 Instant Kiwi ticket to another local. That
same night, a ticket sold at Kaitaia's Paper Plus
won the holder $25,000 in the Big Wednesday draw,
but that prize has yet to be claimed. The $529,456
Lotto Strike prize was claimed by a local man who
had made a last-minute addition to his grocery shopping.
Buying a Triple Dip was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
He checked his tickets online after the January 1
draw and thought it was "pretty cool" that
he had 3 of the right numbers. "I then checked
again and realised that I had all four of the right
Strike numbers, and thought, 'Oh no, that's me',"
said the man, who did not want to be named. "I'm
planning a party to celebrate. I also plan some sensible
investments with the money to make it last."
Kaitaia Pak'nSave owner Maurice Te Brake was delighted
that his store had helped put some much-needed money
into the local economy. "That's just awesome.
They [the two big winners] are local shoppers and
it's absolutely fantastic to know we've helped put
over $600,000 into the town," Te Brake said.
"I'm sure some of the money will get circulated
locally." A Media Man spokesperson said of the
new "This is great pr for the lotto industry.
It could have a few possible outcomes. More folks
will buy tickets at the shops or newsagents, or some
may hit lotto more on the internet, possibly both.
It brings some much welcome positive news to the Kiwi
lottery sector. Online casino jackpot games much also
experience a spike, as punters will be thinking to
go after the big one".

The
land of sheep' Department of Internal Affairs has
lost a 3 year war to prevent passionate gamblers playing
gaming machines in the smoking area of a popular Wellington
tavern that acts are a pokie haven of sorts. Since
2007, the department has attempted to add a "special
condition" (discrimination?) to the Kilbirnie
Tavern's gambling licence that would stop people playing
the machines in areas where having a puff is permitted.
The department reckons smoking and playing pokies
encourages problem gambling. The Gambling Commission
has allowed an appeal by gaming machine operator Lion
Foundation against the condition Internal Affairs
wanted to impose. The Kilbirnie Tavern is one of lucky
7 pokie venues in New Zealand where gambling machines
are played in smoking areas. It is common for club
pokie players to enjoy a smoke while on the punt.
Online pokie players are less inclined to smoke according
to a Media Man spokesperson. Punters, 2 sins for the
price of one! Ok, were are just lightning things up
for you. If you get on the punt, please know the odds,
and most of all, have fun, with or without having
a puff on whatever weed takes your fancy.

Media
Man http://www.mediamanint.com Casino News Media and
Gambling911.com are website portals. Not casinos as
such, however are recognised as world leading websites
that cover the sector and act as central points to
games, news, reviews and more.

Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? How did
you see in the new year? Did you like the extra New
Zealand supplement? Tell us in the forum.

If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.

Punters,
January continues to be a huge month from the land
down under in Australia. We've got kids copying their
parents gambling habits, more gambling crocodile tests
from Australia's top end, Aussie casino and media
wars, casino haters VS casino loves and more.

Australian
Kids Copy Parents Gambling...

Aussie
kids are adopting the gambling and sports betting
habits of their parents and guardians new academic
research shows. Of course, the question needs to be
asked if the data can be trusted, as the readership
is well aware of many "junk science" reports
from academic institutions that service to act as
propaganda, if delivering results and data the the
Australian Labor Party wants to see, and many times
sponsored educational programs doing the research!
Think Japanese "scientific research", but
on with the story. In a the latest report, 60% of
13 to 17-year-olds reveal that they have gambled at
least one time in the year. The Australian Psychological
Society study states that household exposure to gambling
by adults, especially dads, increases the risk that
kids will become passionate punters and will develop
gambling problems in later life! We hear you shaking
your head already. Report co-author Associate Professor
Paul Delfabbro gave a stern warning that there was
already frequent exposure on the www. "All the
time they are reminded of the opportunity to gamble
and this awareness, in addition to opportunities like
at poker machines or betting at the TAB, can pose
risks for young people," Prof Delfabbro said.
It's currently being debated that interactive gambling
services such as online casino games are prohibited
in Australia, but many operates such as Betfair, Centrebet,
PKR and PartyGaming offer a range of games, some for
free play, some for money. Prof Delfabbro warned that
even everyday pastimes such as card games could normalise
gambling for young people. "All the evidence
shows that we do what our parents do, and if kids
are learning casino-style card games that teach them
how to gamble, they will repeat that behaviour elsewhere,"
he said. He encouraged parents to have mature conversations
with their kids about the risks involved in gambling
and the likelihood of success. "The important
thing is that young people should recognise the nature
of the industry is to make a profit like any other
business," he said. "The industry knows
how to ensure that they make money from your behaviour."
Prof Delfabbro cautioned parents against telling young
people that they won't win in the short term. "In
order to lose large amounts of money, most people
have to win big first," he said. "The problem
is that gamblers can't win in the longer term,"
he said. UnitingCare Wesley spokesman Mark Henley
said young people were particularly susceptible to
online gambling. "Young people are much more
tech-savvy than their parents and with online gambling
you don't even need to leave the house," he said.
"The fact is if parents are gambling in any form,
children are more likely to gamble too." Henley
said children should be educated at school about the
dangers of gambling, just as they are taught about
sex and drugs. A Media Man spokesperson said "Fair
and balanced information on gambling and the risks
involved are the way to go. We advise to stick to
strong and trusted brands when possible, like PartyGaming,
Betfair and Centrebet. Stick to brands and sources
you can trust, and keep things fun. If the gambling
stops being fun, you know you have a problem".

Tabcorp
Business Split Up Speculation...

There
is more solid info coming in about the split up, although
no one is betting on either arm surviving as a stand-alone
operation for long, with predators already getting
hungry for both divisions. James Packer's gambling
operation, Crown Limited, has been cited as a likely
purchaser of Tabcorp's casinos while Tattersall's
chief executive, Dick McIlwain, has a noted interest
in the wagering and gaming business, which would put
all Aussies traditional wagering pools under one roof
for the first time in history.

Researchers
from Southern Cross University have launched an online
survey aimed at understanding internet gambling behaviour
in Australia. SCUs Dr Sally Gainsbury will collaborate
with an international team to understand one of the
fastest growing forms of gambling in Australia. My
hope is that it will assist key stakeholders, including
governments, regulators and gambling operators to
develop appropriate policies to regulate internet
gambling, she said. My aim is that the
results will give a clearer indication of the behaviour
of gamblers and the participation rates in all forms
of gambling. Two members of the research team,
Professor Alex Blaszczynski of Sydney University and
Nerilee Hing of SCU, were appointed to the Ministerial
Expert Advisory Group on Gambling last year. The
establishment of that group shows that there is increasing
recognition from politicians, regulators, gambling
operators and the community that we need to develop
more knowledge about gambling and its prominence in
society, Dr Gainsbury said.

Central
Queensland University Students And Teachers Love Gambling
Crocodile Study; Popular Thesis And Fun Subject!...

Crocs
are one again being used to shed light rays on the
numerous factors that make punters more likely to
become "problem gamblers". Psychologist,
Dr Matthew Rockloff and Nancy Greer of Central Queensland
University in Bundaberg, reported their findings in
the Journal of Gambling Studies. It is well known
that gambling is often exciting and causes measurable
symptoms of physiological arousal such as increased
heart rate, says Rockloff. In the gaming environment,
players often interpret such excitement as a "lucky
feeling" and there is significant suggestion
that this makes them more likely to take higher risks.
Like "double of nothing" or pressing the
"gamble" button on a pokie. Rockloff says
casinos already use methods that cause excitement,
including ringing bells, flashing lights and an open
gaming floor. It's a bells and whistles type environment,
and never boring! "They don't know why it works
but they've noticed that if they have small gaming
venues that they don't make as much money as larger
gaming venues," he went on record with. Rockloff
is interested in testing whether excitement really
does cause you to lose yourself and take greater risks,
and if so under what circumstances! In previous experiments,
he blasted white noise at people who were gambling.
This caused people to gamble more intensively, playing
faster and placing larger bets. "If you do that
in a casino environment, you're going to lose more
money more quickly." Next up, he wanted to find
a more clever and secret way of getting people excited,
so he could see whether the same thing happened. So,
enter 'The Crocodile Test' - Who is smiling? - read
on...The smiling professor designed an experiment
that recruited some 103 visitors to a Queensland crocodile
farm to play a simulated Electronic Gaming Machine
(EGM) on a laptop computer. A control group were asked
to play the EGM before seeing the crocodiles. The
test group were asked to play after taking a tour
of the farm, during which time they were told stories
about crocodile attacks, saw a crocodile jumping at
a piece of meat and even got to hold a live young
croc. Each participant was given $20 bucks, which
they could use as credit for their gambling so they
felt they were gambling with their own money. No participants
knew of the connection between the crocodile farm
and the gambling study. "They just thought it
was a convenient place for us to carry out the study,"
says Rockloff. Rockloff found that people with a pre-existing
gambling problem who appeared to have fun holding
the live crocodile took greater risks in the gambling
than those who were anxious and nervous as hell after
touring the crock farm. He also found some people
in the control group (who had not yet had contact
with the crocodiles) took more risks if they had high
negative emotions, compared to those who said they
were feeling happy. Rockloff says the crocodile experiment
was not "highly controlled", but taken together
with the 'white noise' experiment suggests there is
a three-way interaction between previous gambling
history, emotion and physiological excitement. He
says the findings suggest problem gamblers should
watch out for certain emotional states that are likely
to make them gamble greater amounts. "Don't go
to the casino when you're depressed. Don't go to the
casino when you're feeling so lucky you're absolutely
sure you're going to win." There you have it
punters. As always, only bet what you can afford to
lose, and for God's sake, keep it fun.

He's
got 3 properties already purchased and 2 houses now
demolished, billionaire James Packer is well on his
way to building a massive compound in Sydney's east.
It will include 13-car garage, 23m pool, underground
cinema, gym and staff quarters. News Limited is understood
to be first to break the news, with it spreading like
wildfire on the web and across news wires. The renovations
alone will cost close to $13 mill, and that's on top
of the $30m already spent consolidating the three
properties in upmarket Vaucluse. Although the title
deeds are now in Packer's name, the paperwork behind
the deals shows the three properties were transferred
to him only in mid-December by a Manoc Developments
Pty Ltd "without monetary consideration".
The "capital investment value" will be $12.96m,
according to the report, which praised the overall
design process and consultation with heritage consultants,
describing it as "exemplary" and "a
best-practice model". In addition to the new
"module", renovations and additions will
occur in the main house, made out of "a lightweight
glass and steel structure". Any neighbours will
find it difficult to peek. At least two pedestrian
entrances are to be sealed off and the only access
will be via "two new 1.7m-high metal picket vehicular
entry gates". Once past these gates, visitors
will then find themselves facing a 2.4m-high "metal
security fence". Well, casino and media types
do seem to get a lot of attention, sometimes too much.

High-rolling
whales from mainland China gambling at SkyCity in
Auckland are up a solid 33% in the past 6 months.
Not content, they are reaching for the stars and is
looking to boost the market "many times over".
Last year, Macau casinos reported record takings of
US$23.5 billion ($31.1 billion). That's 4 time the
revenues generated at the world famous Las Vegas Strip...largely
because of mainland Chinese punters. SkyCity says
it is keen to lure some of these high-spending players
to New Zealand. An agreement had been reached with
Air New Zealand for priority access to ticketing and
the casino is working with Immigration New Zealand
to "fast-track" visas for "known players"
from the mainland, said SkyCity's international business
president, Ejaaz Dean. In the 5 months ending in November,
SkyCity's international business grew more than 100%
- with China topping the list, ahead of Thailand,
Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. "Most of what's
fuelling the growth are from mainland China,"
Dean said. Regional rivals, such as Singapore, which
last year opened 2 glitz and glam casinos, are competing
hard for the market, but SkyCity is undeterred. "Sure,
we have lost some of our Singaporean clients, who
now prefer to gamble locally, and that's understandable.
But we have a lot of things in New Zealand that Singapore
cannot replicate," Dean said. "We have great
golf courses here, we have great vineyards, and these
are things that attract high-rollers here, rather
than Singapore." SkyCity had already been booked
by 30 high-spending dolphins and whales from China
to spend Chinese New Year, which falls in early February,
in Auckland rather than in Asia, Dean said. The gambling
and entertainment company expects to have 4 dedicated
private gaming rooms for high-rollers, up from 1,
by the middle of the year, and is also undertaking
several facility upgrades at its hotels, restaurants
and bars to ensure they are world class all the way.
SkyCity is targeting a net profit of at least $127.4
million for the year to June. Dean said having a dedicated
sales office in Singapore had helped in "redirecting"
some of the high-value punters to New Zealand. Macau's
casinos last year cashed in 188.3 billion patacas
($31.1 billion), up from 119.3 billion patacas in
2009. That's four times higher than the US$6 billion
gamblers were expected to have spent on the Last Vegas
Strip in 2010, Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA told
AFP. Aaron Fischer, a CLSA gaming analyst, said Macau's
revenue was largely driven by high-roller gamblers,
including many wealthy Chinese tourists riding high
on the country's surging economy. The biggest spending
punters are in order from highest: China, Thailand,
Singapore / Malaysia, Australia and then Pacific Island
nations.

Queensland
Gets Two Lotto Millionaires Within 48 Hours...

Queensland
got two more millionaire lottery winners in the past
48 hours. The two lucky families bring the tally of
millionaire winners to 5 since the year began 6 days
ago. A dad on Brisbane's westside couldn't believe
his luck when he found his family was $1 million richer
after all their numbers came up in last night's Gold
Lotto draw. "When I saw that I had won I started
shaking, but quickly reminded myself not to get too
excited in case there had been a mistake," he
said. It took until this morning, when Golden Casket
verified the win, for the family to have their hopes
confirmed. The dad, who bought his ticket online,
still can't quite believe it's really happening. "This
is unbelievable. It means so much to us," he
said. We'll pay off the mortgage and set up scholarship
accounts for our children." The other division
one winners from last night, a Sunshine Coast couple,
had no idea they had picked up the big prize until
Golden Casket gave them a million-dollar wake-up call
this morning. The couple said they had been playing
lotto every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
since the 1980s, and their dedication finally paid
off to the tune of $1 million when their numbers came
up last night. "What amazing news. We'll use
some of the prize money to help our children and the
rest to fund our retirement," they said. The
two wins have added to Queensland's huge group of
millionaire winners thus far in 2011. The earliest
lotto millionaire of the year was the mystery recipient
of a $1.35 million first division prize, who finally
claimed her win on New Years Day, exactly 2 weeks
after the draw. On Tuesday, a Brisbane man picked
up a cool $10 million on Oz 7 Lotto after playing
for more than five years, joking that he would use
the winnings to pay off his debts, retire and top
up his go card. And the identity of another Queensland
lotto millionaire still remains a mystery, with a
$1.6 million prize remaining unclaimed. The winning
ticket was for the New Year's Eve Gold Lotto Megadraw,
and was purchased at the Kenmore Tavern Plaza News
in Brisbane's Western suburbs. A spokeswoman from
Golden Casket said Queensland Lotto players are on
a roll with close to $17 million in prize money claimed
in the past week.

Embattled
Australian Aristocrat Technologies Pokie Maker To
Be In The Mix At London's ICE 2011...

ICE
is ebing held from January 25 to January 27, the International
Casino Exhibition (ICE) this year will celebrate 21
years of high-stakes gaming at the event. Australia's
embattled Aristocrat is in the mix of one armed bandit
makers who will exhibit. Readers will recall from
last month that there's a legal situation between
Aussie Aristocrat and American made IGT (International
Game Technology). IGT is claiming copyright infringement
and a whole lot more, and Aristocrats shares price
has not been pretty to say the least in recent months.
The event will see exhibitors Aristocrat Technologies,
Barcrest Group, CMS, Cummins-Allison, Eurocoin, Funworld
and TCSJohnHuxley represented, according to Clarion
Gaming, the organiser of the event.
As well as the big-name exhibitors, more than 400
companies will be present.
The 20,000 square metres of space will be taken up
by those active in the online, casino, mobile, betting,
bingo, lottery and street gaming sectors who will
deliver "the most comprehensive insight to the
latest gaming innovations from every corner of the
world." Clarion Gaming has described ICE 2011,
to take place at London's Earl Court Exhibition Centre,
to be "the most comprehensive and international
business-to-business gaming event on the world stage."
Kate Chambers, Show Director for ICE 2011, stated
that "our opening ceremony will celebrate 21
years of working in partnership to provide a source
of product innovation and inspirational ideas for
the international gaming industry." "Few
could have thought some 21 years ago that a pioneering
niche within an existing exhibition would flourish
in such a way," she continued. Chambers also
stated that "most, if not all, of the ground-breaking
and iconic gaming products to impact the sector over
the last 21 years have been launched at ICE and I'm
certain that the breakthrough product of 2011 will
also be found at ICE, which is why the exhibition
remains the immense asset it is to the global gaming
industry and a must-attend event." ICE 2011 promises
to be an exciting event with plenty of exhibitions
to keep visitors occupied. Aussies, Yankees, Canooks
and Pommies are looking forward to downing a few drinks
and inking a few details together, as the industry
looking forward to seeing better days, with last year
being one of the worst in history as far as many firms
bottom lines went. All power to those who attend,
and we hope you get your money's worth. Stand don't
always come cheap!

'Real
Life Underbelly' might be coming to Surfers' Paradise.
Some say is already there. Plans filed with the city
council on Christmas Eve for a multi-level adult nightclub
in Surfers Paradise have sparked fears it could turn
into a Kings Cross-type slum. Area councillor Susie
Douglas said the proposal had not been discussed with
her but it was the type of development the council
wanted to shut out. "The Hilton will put us on
the international map and we can't afford to have
visitors leaving thinking we are a sleazy city,"
she said. The proposal, by the Hollywood Showgirls
nightclub owners Duffy Night Club No 1, wants to expand
the first floor and connect it to the neighbouring
nightclub 21, which has approval for a second nightclub
on its first floor.

Australian
Bee Gees Show Hits Las Vegas Strip...

The
Australian Bee Gees Show...A Tribute to The Bee Gees,
will make its exciting debut at Excalibur Hotel and
Casino Tuesday, Feb. 1 when the talented tribute band
brings the music of the famous Gibb brothers to the
Las Vegas Strip. Tickets priced at $54.95 and $44.95,
plus tax and service fees, are now on sale. Performances
are Tuesday-Sunday at 7 p.m. nightly. To charge by
phone call (702) 597-7600. Tickets are also available
for purchase at the Excalibur box office and online.
The 75-minute multi-media concert event is a contemporary
perspective featuring state-of-the-art sound, superb
lighting and giant screens featuring video clips,
live camera images and stunning graphics. It is the
definitive live celebration of five decades of memorable
music written by the Brothers Gibb, one of the most
successful and adored acts in musical history. Adam
Steck, CEO of SPI Entertainment and producer of the
show, said, "I grew up on Bee Gees music so I'm
especially thrilled to bring this amazing tribute
to Las Vegas. They nail their unbelievable harmonies
and the show literally turns into one big sing-along!"
Excalibur's President and COO Renee West said, "The
legacy of The Bee Gees and their music has been incredibly
enduring, appealing to generation after generation.
This tribute show is sure to be a fun and energetic
celebration of music and memories that visitors from
around the world will relate to." Since 1996,
The Australian Bee Gees Show - A Tribute to The Bee
Gees has performed to more than 1 million people in
sold-out theaters and concert halls across the globe
in more than 40 countries. The group's unbelievable
resemblance and sound of the legendary Bee Gees has
garnered international kudos from media and show goers
alike. The show has become the world's leading Bee
Gees show and Terri Bridge, president of the U.S.
Bee Gees Fan Club said, "In my opinion they are
the best Bee Gees tribute in the world." About
Excalibur Hotel and Casino: A myriad of entertainment,
fine food and comfortable accommodations make for
an inviting atmosphere within contemporary castle
walls at Excalibur Hotel and Casino. The resort offers
3,981 guest rooms, including 2,000 recently remodeled
Widescreen Rooms, delightful dining experiences including
Dick's Last Resort and The Steakhouse at Camelot,
the Tournament of Kings Dinner Show, the all-male
revue Thunder From Down Under and the hilarious comedy
of the Broadway smash Defending the Caveman. Excalibur
also offers dozens of shops, an expansive pool complex,
a wedding chapel featuring costume ceremonies, the
Royal Treatment Spa & Fitness Center and a convention
area with more than 12,000 square feet of meeting
and banquet space. Excalibur is a wholly owned subsidiary
of MGM Resorts International. It's a good night, go
on, get your ass in there!

Berg's
Gaming: Bondi Icebergs Club Gaming Not On Par With
Other On Site Amenities; North Bondi RSL Club Much
Better Pokies Plus Poker Nights...

Don't
get us wrong, we love Bondi Icebergs, but the gaming
facilities are a bit lacking. Granted, the pokies
are not the main attraction of the club, the pool,
restaurant, bar, entertainment and view are, but if
you're going to have pokies, have more up to date
ones (like Sinatra and Top Gun), or don't have them
at all. We couldn't even find Cleopatra Queen Of The
Nile, Black Rhino or Penguin Pays. Also, how about
a poker and bingo night, like the other competing
club down the road, North Bondi RSL Club does. For
the record Media Man is a member of both clubs, but
North Bondi RSL has it all over 'The Bergs' as far
as gaming and gambling goes, but The Icebergs wins
in just about every other category. Gaming and business
tycoon is a big fan of Bondi Iceberg's restaurant,
as is U2 front man Bono (Paul Hewson), even if he
did have to wait for a table, like everyone else.
Hey, just sayin!

Yeah,
we know, 'The Hoff' doesn't have much to do with gaming
and gambling, but its big enough entertainment news
to get a run. Oh, an online Baywatch slot machine
was released a number of years ago, but Aussies can't
access that one any way, so on with the story... Former
Knight Rider and Baywatch star David Hasselhoff, fresh
of his hot Bondi Beach swimming and posing with hot
women a few days back, will now hit the golden sands
of the Gold Coast's Main Beach to promote Streets
new ice creams Splice Real Fruits. Yeah, there's the
product plus. I guess someone has to do the job don't
they, as who better than 'The Hoff'?! Hoff hit Bondi
Beach on an inflatable rescue boat aka 'rubber ducky'
wearing his famous hot red shorts, and surrounded
by blonde goddesses beach babes (but no Jaime Wright
- original Bondi Blonde) in Baywatch-style swimsuits.
The 58-year-old's running action no longer requires
editing to appear in slow motion, yet 'The Hoff' still
has what it takes to draw a crowd. But if you head
to check out the spectacle remember one thing: don't
hassle The Hoff.

Sydney
Red Hot Brothel Raided By Thieves For Cold Hard Cash...

Two
blokes men have robbed a Sydney brothel, clobbering
the manager with an iron bar, then robbing the female
working girls. Cops say the pair burst into the business
in Cosgrove Road, South Strathfield, about 1.45am
last last Saturday and hit the 51-year-old manager.
They snatched cash from the female staff and a till,
then bolted off. The manager was taken to hospital
and is in a stable condition. The robbers were described
as being of Pacific Islander appearance and wore blue
hooded tops. Police want to hear from anyone who saw
suspicious activity around the brothel this morning.
Who will talk, that's the question.

Punter
Fev On Leave After Huge New Years Eve; Into Rehab...

AFL's
most notorious (and nocturnal we understand) play,
bad ass Brendan 'Punter Fev' Fevola has been granted
indefinite leave from the Queensland's Brisbane Lions
after being arrested during drunken New Years
Eve celebrations in Bris Vegas (Brisbane), not be
be confused with 'Sin City' Sydney! Feb might be trying
to get Brissy a reputation for sin, but you will still
have to try harder next time mate... just kidding.
Fev was released from lockup about 11am after spending
in excess of 5 hours in the watchhouse. You know,
in "the can". He was bailed out on charges
of public nuisance and obstructing police and will
appear in a court of law on January 18. QLD police
confirmed a 29-year-old Norman Park chap was arrested
in the nightclub lurks of Brunswick Street, Fortitude
Valley aka 'The Valley' (where Underbelly 4 and perhaps
5 will be featured). In a statement yesterday, the
Brisbane Lions advised Fevola had request indefinite
leave "in order to receive professional assistance
for a number of personal issues. The request for leave
was made by Fevola following an incident in the early
hours of this morning where he was arrested and charged
with public nuisance and obstructing police in Brisbanes
Fortitude Valley," the statement says. "Fevola
was released from police custody at around 11am and
immediately sought leave from the Lions to receive
professional assistance. As a result, Fevola will
not be at training this Monday when the team resumes
its preparations for the 2011 AFL Season. While the
Brisbane Lions AFC places the well being of all its
staff as a primary focus, the club will hold talks
next week regarding what action may be required as
a direct result of this mornings incident."
AFL General Manager Football Operations Adrian Anderson
said the Lions had told him of Fevola's latest incident,
the latest in a string, with Crown Casino's antics
likely being the most famous, captured on film. He
advised the club was still gathering the full details
and the AFL would await Brisbane's detailed report
before considering any action. Its believed
Lions officials are seething about this latest incident
and he now faces an uncertain future. Club officials
state its unlikely the Lions will have an emergency
board meeting to discuss Fevolas future. However,
that could change. The Lions investigated terminating
Fevolas hefty contract last year after claims
he allegedly exposed himself to a mum of four at a
local football club function. The club had major salary
cap issues which played a major role in key midfielders
Michael Rischitelli and Jared Brennan leaving to join
the Gold Coast Suns. As was the case then, Fevola
could also face action from the AFL for bringing the
game into disrepute. An AFL spokesman said the league
could issue a statement this afternoon. This latest
incident is another black mark on Fevolas chequered
career. On New Years Eve Fevola tweeted: Good
bye 2010 thank god! Bring on 2011 lions will roar
again :). The Lions full-forward endured
a turbulent 2010. He was accused of releasing nude
photos of former lover and model Lara Bingle, who
at the time was engaged to stand-in Australian cricket
captain Michael Clarke. The AFL later said there was
"insufficient evidence" to show Fevola had
distributed the photograph. Queensland police were
later unable to lay charges he had exposed himself
to the mother of four because of a lack of evidence.
He was only cleared in recent weeks by the AFL of
bringing the game into disrepute. Fevola also confirmed
he had major gambling debts, with some estimating
these were as high as $200,000. In his first year
at the club since he was dumped by Carlton, Fevola
also endured a wretched on-field season because of
a serious groin injury as the Lions, finalists in
2009, tumbled to the bottom wrungs of the AFL ladder.

Pokies
Not The Only Answer To Aussie Pub Profits...

Pokies
might not the the big drawcard for Aussie pubs that
they used to be. Pokies hit the scene about 10 years
ago and did a roaring trade, but they seemed to have
lost at least some of their appeals in the clubs.
Some publicans have revamped facilities and pokie
rooms, at some media reckons drinkers and those wanting
a good feed, beers and other other forms of entertainment
may have suffered. A Media Man spokesperson said 'When
you visit an Aussie pub these days and look around
the pokie machines, they are definitely quieter than
they used to be. It's got the be the recession. Let
us not also forget that many punters are also hitting
the pokies and other casino games on the web theses
days. Some Aussies got a big worried at the violence
at some Aussie pubs with glassings becoming a frequent
thing. Now beer is often served in plastic cups, thanks
to a few morons who spoil it for everyone. Advertising,
media man and bloke of business brilliance John Singleton
has not being quite hitting the jackpot with the pubs
as much as predicted either. That man knows beer.
Oh, a few yews ago he did 'Whale Safe Beer' at North
Bondi with our friends at Sea Shepherd, followed a
few years late with Bondi Blonde at Icebergs, but
that's another story. If Singo isn't going that great
in pubs what chance does an average Aussie bloke have
hey! insiders will know he recently purchased 4 pubs
with his mates and is looking for return on investment.
It may take longer than at first anticipated. Is Singo
next to join the online gambling biz, following the
trends that sees James Packer and Richard Branson
making giant ways, with 2011 set to be a year it creates
a massive tidal wave effect. Catch the wave and stay
tuned to Gambling911 and Media Man.

Australian
Gambling, Entertainment And Media News, by Greg Tingle
- 23rd December 2010

G'day
again and Merry Christmas punters, casino and gambling
millionaires, billionaires, entertainment news junkies,
insiders, outsiders, politicians, journalists and
everyone else. What a year it has been. It's just
2 sleeps before Christmas hits, depending upon where
you live, but the cracker Aussie news just keeps coming
think and fast. We thank you, the loyal readership
for your custom this year, and we look forward to
continuing to satisfy your desire for the best in
gambling, gaming, casino, entertainment and sports
news and information in 2011. Media Man and Gambling911
with a Santa's sleigh full stocking of news. Ho Ho
Ho!...

Former
senior detective Tony Murphy, a king of Australian
vice including the gambling and prostitution biz has
died. Legend has is that he was once one of the most
feared fit it and can do men in Sydney. By circa 2000
however has had assumed the position as the licensed
operator of the TAB betting facility at Dunwich on
Stradbroke Island, north east of Brisbane. Journey
back to 70's as he was the law man now to cross, striking
fear in the hearts of those who dared crossed him,
and who, according to many who knew him, was the boss
of corruption in a Queensland police force that was
as rotten you could get. It was the landmark inquiry
into police and political corruption headed by Tony
Fitzgerald QC began in 1987 and concluded in July
1989, that resulting in the locking up of 4 National
Party ministers as well as police commissioner Terry
Lewis, and the charging of more than 250 other people,
of whom 139 were found guilty. That's lot of heads,
crooked cops et al. All told, 30 coppers were charged
with crimes, 36 charges of official corruption laid
and 10 indemnities granted to corrupt senior police
who were involved in protecting illegal casino dens,
brothels and unlicensed bookmakers. Yep, crooks and
cops has finger in all sorts of pie. One against whom
a bush tucked bag of allegations were made but who
was never charged after the Fitzgerald inquiry was
'Our Murphy', who retired from his position of assistant
commissioner in 1983 after a "smashing"
38-year career. The Fitzgerald inquiry was told that
Murphy headed what was known as "The Rat Pack":
a trio of crooked cops who organised the standover
and the "creaming off" of organised crime
in Queensland. The Rat Pack comprised Murphy who was
the tough as shoe leather boss man, detective Glen
Hallahan and Terry Lewis. Some insider say they were
basically the creme and puppet masters of the brothels,
gambling dens and a range of other popular vice industries.
Yet another chapter of Queensland's love affair with
vice and corruption has been put to rest.

Aussie
Gambling And Media King James Packer And Mining King
Andrew Forrest Tag Team On Resources Investment...

It's
not quite the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip,
or even Packer's Crown Casino, but Packer and good
friend "Twiggy" Forrest have teamed up again,
the last known tag match being our favorite GenerationOne
indigenous employment initiative. Australian-listed
Medical Corporation saw its shares surge 342.86% to
16c yesterday, after it announced it was to buy Amphion
International, a private company backed by Packer
and Forrest, along with a $2.8 million share placement.
Packer is also understood to be a shareholder in the
Twig Meister's Fortescue Metals Group and as a vocal
supporter of the mining king's Generation One program.
Mining vet Miles Kennedy, the head of Amphion, will
head up the new project, along with Medical Corp chairman
Simon Lee, who has vast experience in the gold sector.
Packer, Forrest, along with ex Multiplex director
Tim Roberts, have supported the power play and will
take up their full entitlement in the share placement,
in a vote of confidence in the team finding a resource
project. It is understood Medical Corp will soon change
its name to reflect its new focus on the business
of mining. The purchase of Amphion and the share placement
would leave Medical Corp with about $12m in cash and
listed shares to seek out a "suitable investment"
in the resources sector. We wish the tag team will
in their hunt for their next jackpot, and we might
even pick up a shares soon, in yet another show of
support in the Packer - Forrest dream team.

Having
spent years, if not decades, in a war for news media
dominance down under, the families are now sharing
luxury ski lodge digs over Xmas. We hear that The
Packer's and their two juniors are heading to Beaver
Creek in Vail Colorado for Christmas where they will
be the guests of Seven Network big cheese Kerry Stokes.
Stokes has been buying up properties in the luxury
ski resort for years and has a world class penthouse
in the region which will suit fellow billionaire Packer
to a tee. Earlier in the year JP and Stokes clashed,
when Stokes made a hostile raid on 'Our James' Consolidated
Media Holdings, but both gents have moved forward.
Packer has of course bought a large bite of Ten and
insiders reckon there's will be plenty of sport to
go around the Aussie media landscape, should it get
split up from Ten's digital channel OneHD. Afterwards
The Packer's will snatch a lend of a a boat and cruise
up to the Bahamas. Packer family matriarch Ros has
flown to Paris, France, to catch up with daughter
Gretel for Xmas. Ok, that's you first lot of Xmas
media celeb goss. Stay tuned.

Aussie
Shane Warne May Focus More On Cricket And Poker; Love
Life Suffers Blow; Twitter-Gate...

Love
him or hate him (we like him lots, but not too much),
Warnie is newsworthy. Mate and biz partner or the
rich and famous, like James Packer, just to name one,
has a thing for poker (and ladies). Warne's romance
with British babe Liz Hurley has suffered a blow out.
Hurley has apparently distanced Warne the leg-spinner's
loose fingers (phone and other... satire) and love
for hot women again led distracted him, says Murdoch's
News Of The World. The 41-year-old legend reportedly
pumped out more than 100 hot texts to a married 44-year-old
Melbourne mother of two, Adele Angeleri, while he
was courting Hurley. The pair met when Angeleri, who
runs a shop across the road from Warne's office, allegedly
approached him with a business proposal only to receive
a string of propositions herself. The sexy text affair
reportedly spun out of control when the woman's husband,
lawyer Denis Angeleri, found out and stormed into
Warne's office demanding to speak to him. The following
day Warne is understood - alleged to have telephoned
a not happy Angeleri in an attempt to keep the affair
secret. Warne, who had reportedly told friends he
wanted to marry Hurley, has not been his usually happy
go lucky self on Twitter recently. "Still no
sleep so got up out of bed, now staring at the
water here in Perth, sulking and feeling grumpy!!
Need cheering up today!" Warne said in the early
hours of Friday morning. Not even Australia's comeback
in the Perth cricket Test could boost Warne's spirits.
He also asked why "some people enjoy being nasty,
it's good to be nice to." Media Man will be checking
in with Warnie's Twitter for further updates.

Crown
Casino Aussie Cricket Yarns And Gossip...

Cricket
Legend Jeff Thomson hit the stage at Melbourne's Crown
Casino in a shirt that Yankee ex politician and pro
wrestling colour man, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura would
have been proud of. Pink, yeah Pink! He also sported
black pants, black tie and a lovely cream jacket,
with his trademark mop of white hair hanging over
his shoulders. Maybe he mas been watching too many
re runs of WWE WrestleMania is its heyday or something.
Anyway, on with the story... the 60 year old or so
veteran was straight up at them Cricket Victoria luncheon,
and let loose with some ripper quotes on the Pommie
batsmen. Thomson had some words of wisdom for Australia's
selectors ahead of the 4th Ashes Test commencing at
the Melbourne Cricket Ground this Sunday. "Don't
worry about a spinner. Just keep the quicks. I think
we can frighten the s**t out of those blokes."
Thommo got to trade sledges with old rival Colin Cowdrey
on stage. Back in the day the story goes "Jeff
Thomson, I've been dying to meet you". Ex England
batsman David Lloyd, who suffered a nasty blow to
the groin region thanks to a Thommo thunderbolt in
the 1974-75 series. Hundred of guests laughed as they
crossed to video footage showed Lloyd sinking to the
turf in agony after been hit in the balls. Lloyd,
dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and a tie, evened
the score by sledging Thommo's dress last night. "You
look like a bag of s**t," Thommo responded. Thommo
was supportive of the Aussie side, that have been
bad ass with the sledging of late. "It's all
part and parcel of the game. "You are just trying
to upset the guy's concentration. You're out there
for six hours, you get bored sh*tless. You've got
to say something." Known for his speed in the
roaring 70s, Thommo was quizzed about reports that
his 160 km/h bowling had now estimated at closer to
170 km/h. "They came out pretty quick. I hit
a lot of sightscreens on the full. I wanted to be
the quickest and scare shit out of everybody and I
think I achieved that".

National
Australia Bank Reduces Gamble On Tabcorp Shares...

Gamiing
an gambling giant Tabcorp Holdings advised National
Australia Bank has reduced its holding in the firm.
Tabcorp advised in a statement on Monday that NAB
had decreased its relevant interest in the company
to 34,911,845 ordinary shares representing 5.097%
of its issued fully paid ordinary capital. On December
6, NAB was listed as holding 45,655, 936 shares in
Tabcorp, representing 6.67%. Tabcorp said the shares
were sold on December 14.

Aussie
Pub And Land Based Pokie Players Loose $2m Per Day!..

One
armed bandit punters are set to lose a record $800
million this year. Nearly $2.2 million a day ($200.4
million) was lost between July and September, the
third-highest quarterly loss in South Australian history.
If punters continue at this rate, they will lose more
than the record $792.6 million they fed poker machines
in the 2006-07 financial year. The last occurrence
that ore than $200 million was lost in a three-month
period was leading up to smoking bans in November
2007. Since then, losses steadily have decreased,
with pokes recording a 7-year low $729.4 million profit
in 2009-10. Last September, the state and federal
governments released the findings of two pre-commitment
technology trials in SA. They showed the technology,
which allows people to determine the amount of money
they want to spend before gambling, may be effective
in reducing the amount of money problem gamblers lose.
South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said the latest
poker machine figures highlighted the urgency of implementing
a national mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "Voluntary
pre-commitment is a joke," he said. "What
it does show is the technology can work, but the only
way to do it properly is there has to be a mandatory
all-in pre-commitment scheme." State Gambling
Minister Tom Koutsantonis said South Australia was
leading the nation with pre-commitment technologies.
"This can empower individuals to take control
over their own spending behaviour," he said.
Yep, its man VS machine, citizens VS "big brother".

Nine
Entertainment Company Continues To Get New Blood Pumped
In...

Nine
is doing its utmost to give the business every chance
of hitting mega paydirt this year, with yet another
shot of new blood into the ranks. David Coleman will
lead Nine Entertainments digital growth. David
Coleman has been promoted internally to head up digital
activities across Nine Entertainment, the recently
rebranded PBL Media. Coleman, previously PBLs
director of strategy, will retain his original portfolio.
but adds good does of digital into the nex mix of
cocktail. Nine Entertainments assets include
the Nine Network, ACP Magazines and joint venture
with Microsoft NineMSN. Nine Entertainment CEO David
Gyngell said "David brings great experience and
understanding to our ever growing digital businesses,
having worked in the Internet industry since the late
90s. That hands-on experience, and his runs on the
board already with our group, make him the logical
choice for the new role in what is a key growth area
for Nine Entertainment Co." Coleman said "Our
digital assets are the best in the Australian media
sector, and we intend to build on them in the future.
We see great opportunities to both grow our existing
digital activities, and enter new categories. I am
looking forward to working with David and the broader
management team as we aggressively build our position
in digital media." Coleman first joined the PBL
family 5 years back. He now reps the firm on the boards
of several group assets, including NineMSN, Rate City,
Cudo and Sky News. Prior to joining the group, he
worked like a demon at Internet companies Looksmart
and dstore, as well as for one or two consulting firms.
We wish Colman well with his ongoing career at Nine,
part of Team Gyngell, an offshoot of what's know around
Aussie media and gambling circles as the 'Aussie Gumleaf
Mafia'.

Wrap
Up...

Readers...
er, punters, how did you like our report? Have you
been naughty or nice, and what sort of Xmas present
are you gambling on? Tell us in the forum.

If
you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over
it, and for God's sake, have fun.

VIP
Slot Vault is a brand-new promotion that rewards you
for playing all your favourite casino slots.

You
could play our Marvel slots like The Incredible Hulk,
where you can scoop superhero payouts of up to 5,000
times your line bet. Or enjoy slot classics like Cleopatra,
Coral Cash, and Fruit Party for fun action and generous
payouts.

Whatever
slot games you play, it all helps unlock the Slot
Vault!

Just
earn 100 points a day for 6 days during the promotional
period, and youll receive a cash prize of $50.
Earn more points and play more days, and you could
win an iPhone 4, a 46 Sony Bravia HD TV with
PlayStation 3, and a $5,000 Samsung home entertainment
bundle.

PartyCasino
News: New Instant Play PartyCasino Jackpot Time? The
Big One Is Over $2,500,000!

Gibraltar
 22nd September 2010  PartyCasino.com,
the worlds largest online casino, is pleased
to announce that it has launched its new instant casino!
In addition, The Big One at PartyCasino.com,
the largest progressive seeded jackpot in the online
gaming industry, is now over $2,500,000, while the
Gold Mega Jackpot currently exceeds $1,300,000! In
total PartyCasino.coms
jackpots total over $4,000,000!

A PartyCasino.com
spokesman said: "The new instant casino is now
live. Play direct from the website in 14 languages
with the improved user interface. Everything else
remains the same - continue to enjoy a huge range
of casino games, jackpots and promotions! The Big
One was last hit on the 29th May this year and we
have seen frantic activity in recent days  it
seems customers think someone is going to hit it very
soon now the $2,500,000 landmark has been crossed.
The Gold Mega Jackpot also looks ripe to payout and
hasnt been hit since the 1st June.

The Big One is structured as a five tiered pool. The
highest tier - Colossal Cash - seeds at $1.5 million,
the biggest online jackpot seed in the industry and
currently stands at over $2.1 million. Customers can
play for The Big One through traditional
slot Melon Madness. PartyCasino.com
has also recently introduced another way of hitting
The Big One in the form of Snow Business.
This slot is a five-reel, 30 line jackpot slot game
with a Free Spins feature. When three or more scattered
iceberg symbols appear anywhere in view, the feature
screen is displayed where the player is required to
catch a random number of fish, each of which reveals
a random number of free spins or a random free spins
multiplier.

The
new Rocky slot game has become Playtechs most
sought after title as online gaming fans flock to
box as Rocky Balboa.

The
great features of Playtechs video slot have
made the game one of the most popular of all time.
Rocky Slots sets the pace for PartyGaming and Playtech,
with Pink Panther soon to follow.

Rocky
Slots traces the fortunes of the kind hearted south
paw Rocky Balboa from the 1976 film starring Sylvester
Stallone. The game has fast and well designed features
and game play as well as a pounding soundtrack to
match...this really gets the excitement and adrenaline
flowing! Bonus features include a special Knockout
Bonus round where players can pick Rockys opponents,
watch a ten round boxing match and win big money.

Playtech
have upped the ante with Rocky Slots as the game features
more advanced graphics, better sound and more sophisticated
detail than other similar games. This makes Rocky
Slots an absolute knock out to play.

The
spinning reels sound like a punch bag to make players
feel that they are hearing Rocky train in his favourite
Philadelphia gym. Players need to spell out ROCKY
on the 5 reels in order to receive an instant 5x total
bet payout. And if you manage to achieve this in the
free spin rounds you will receive a massive 10x total
bet payout!

Perhaps
the more impressive feature of the Rocky Slots game
from Playtech is the Knockout Bonus Round. This is
where players choose from three prize fights to spar
against Rocky in a ten round match  including
the famous film world champion Apollo Creed. The player
watches the stunning fight from a front line seat,
featuring real footage from the fight scenes in the
film.

During
the Knockout Bonus Round players have the chance of
winning up to a 30x total bet payout if Rocky manages
to knock his opponent out in a fast enough time. Go
Rocky!

PartyGaming
also offer PartyCasino.com which offers dozens more
movie and TV themed slot games, as well as other online
casino games that can be played for free or played
for money.

PartyGaming
was established in 1997 and is listed on the London
Stock Exchange.